Canary
by Xai16
Summary: After his rejection from Haruhi, Kasanoda Ritsu finds himself falling in love all over again, but can he protect her from rival gangs, her own family, or her fiance? Kasanoda X OC. Mild language, semi-adult themes. Sorry if I affend all the manga purists.
1. Ch 1  Pagoda no Michi

**Canary**

**FanFiction**

_**Disclaimer**: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only._

_**Chapter 1**__–__ Pagoda no Michi_

Footsteps reverberate in his ear as the bottom of his shoes meet the pavement. The breeze blows through, hushing the chatter of the people about to a near deaf hum. Sun rays beam down heavy but the cool breeze alleviates the heat. Children play, teenage girls prattle on and giggle, and cars whizz by down the street; but all is unnoticed as the scene replays over and over in his head.

Earlier that week, Kasanoda Ritsu had been rejected by Fujioka Haurhi. He accepted it but it was a pretty hard blow. Word spread throughout the school and since then, he has been swarmed by all the 'bleeding hearts' of Ouran that had been touched by his story. The 'walking blizzard' was officially a thing of the past. He was now easily one of the most popular people at Ouran Academy, but this overnight fame came to be just a little overwhelming. He only hoped that things would calm down in another week.

Ritsu looked over the note of his resolve on his arm; "I will protect Fujioka's secret for my entire life". He tried to imagine an 'entire life' with Haruhi but he couldn't even imagine the first date. Maybe Haruhi was too complicated to visualize a simple date. Maybe it just meant that none of it was fated to be. He tried to belay these thoughts as she made it clear to him that they were just friends, at least as far as he understood. Still, it was his first crush. He knew he had to but how could he just forget those feelings?

Freeing himself from his thoughts and delving back into reality, he noted that everything in sight was starting to catch fire. Titian and crimson hued everything but the shadowed places it could no longer reach. To couple with the fading day, Ritsu didn't recognize where he was at all. He had missed his turn way back in the corner reaches of his distracted mind.

The street was lined with Japanese pagoda trees, each branch swaying in and out enticing all wandering travelers to come closer. Ritsu ignored the call and turned to leave when he heard a soft beautiful sound. The wind carried the tune of sadness to him and returned him to it. With each passing step, each note, every crescendo, he drew nearer to the end of the pagoda street. By the stop of pagoda, he came to a shrine on a lake surrounded by shidareyanagi trees. He had found the place where the fae folk dance. The trees swayed in a waltz. The waters rippled into a ballet. The wind whirled and twirled around and around as all came together to dance to the music that filled the air. And resting in the shade of one lonely shidareyanagi, was the fairy that the sound originated.

The person under the tree played a wind instrument but he couldn't see who of what instrument. He moved in closer for a better view, stealthily and quiet so his presence wouldn't disturb the melody. The first thing he saw was gokurakuchō flowers on a cerulean, furisode kimono.

A young woman was playing a tsuchibue as the wind brushed the willow wisps over her arms. The evanescent sunlight glimmered through the wisps cunningly shining light at the will of the wind to accent her song and stunning features. Her hair was like cinnamon and would have followed the dance of the land about her were it not tied up. she was incredibly striking but her music was so cheerless. He couldn't stop staring as he tried to move around the tree he concealed himself under to see if her face matches the beauty of the rest of her.

Before he could draw any closer, a middle-aged woman appeared. The elder woman seized the young girl by the arm and yanked her to her feet. Ritsu watched as she snatched the tsuchibue from her hands and waved it in her face threateningly before throwing it into the lake. The girl struggled to retrieve it but the older woman held tightly to the crooks of her elbows and pulled her away into the shrine.

Once they were far enough away, Ritsu – being the kind person he was – went into the shallow waters to look for the tsuchibue. Daylight slowly became discolored and the first street light lit the path of the night walkers. Ready to cut his losses, he hand brushed against something neither rock nor mud. He took hold of it and pulled up the tsuchibue.

He turned towards the shrine just in time to see the girl, the woman, and a few body guards pile into a limousine. At that moment, his eyes met hers just before she disappeared into the car. A surge of warmth rushed through his body in that instant. Something in him told him he had just encountered fate.

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><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for reading my story. I thought Kasanoda could use a bigger part and since he's having trouble with love, why not help him out. Now B4 I lose my faculties, I just have to do it; *SQEALS LIKE A FAN GIRL* HIS HAIR IS SO RED!

Yup, I have a red-head moe. I also have a thing for bare shoulders so he's going to be whering them alot. Please feel free to leave any comments, they're much appreciated. I'd love to know any way that I can improve.


	2. Ch 2  Ashioto

**Canary**

**FanFiction**

_**Disclaimer**: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only._

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 2<strong>__–__ Ashioto_

Something flared up in him in that instant; something familiar and still so very unknown. Was it fate, love, or just a whim of his body? No one can say, but the second he met with her eyes – those unbelievably gorgeous eyes – the world crashed down but he was miles off into the sky. He stood frozen as his fairy was pushed into that limousine. He stood frozen as it drove off down the pagoda street. He stood frozen long after heaven and hell came to an end; lost in those enchanting eyes.

Another light and then another, all down the street of pagoda trees, street lamps came on. With a splash from a small fish, Ritsu was brought back to reality. The girl was gone and her tsuchibue was in his hands.

Ritsu grabbed his school bag and ran home, the wind playing the instruments the whole way. When he came to the Kasanoda syndicate, all was quiet…too quiet. Ritsu pushed open the door and the place was empty. He only got a few steps though when Tetsuya came running to meet him.

"Wakaa, you've returned. Where have you been? Everyone's out looking for you." Ritsu pictured his men storming the depths of the sea for him. But that idea died when he realized they were probably just roaming the streets. "I wasn't paying attention and just got lost. You don't need to start a search party for me."

His words were matter-of-fact and crudely presented but Tetsuya understood this was the young lord's way of saying he was worried about his men on the streets at this hour. "I'll call them back then. Your father would like to speak to you. He told me to tell you when you got back."

"Yeah, thanks." Ritsu made his way to his father's room while Tetsuya called the guys. "Ishioto-san, the young lord has…"

"Did you find him? Is he alright?" Ishioto blasted.

Tetsuya held the phone an arm's-length from his ear until the blare of noise subsided. "He's fine, he just got a little lost on the way home."

A heavy sigh could be heard on the other end. "Thank god. I was sure those damn Mioji's had got to him."

"Mioji's? What do you mean? Who are they?" Tetsuya questioned.

"Kid you need to pay attention. They're a rival syndicate trying to steal our title as 'Most powerful yakuza in Kanto, Japan'; which means that the young lord is at risk." Ishioto explained agitatedly.

"I didn't know." Tetsuya stated. Ishioto groaned, "So far they haven't done anything beyond petty fights but we can't take that chance. You need to keep an eye on him. Keep him safe."

"Understood."

Inside, Ritsu entered his father's room and sat down on the pillow in front of him in the traditional fashion. Hayato had a very sobering expression across his features. "You had us all very worried, you know."

"Yes father." Ritsu professed. His stare focused on the rim of the pillow at his father's knees. Hayato noted Ritsu lack for eye contact. "The Mioji's activity has recently increased. It's too dangerous for you to stroll about the neighborhood on your own these days. You need to remember; as the heir to the Kasanoda syndicate, you are a prime target. Who knows when they'll attack?"

"Yes father."

"Starting now, I'm having Ishioto, Katashi, and Isamu guard you. I can count on them to see and react to trouble. They'll be inconspicuous but I'll be able to sleep better at night. A man only has one son to look after."

"Yes father." Hayato's face softened a little to hear his son's excuse. "So, has the path from school to home gotten longer?"

Ritsu thought for a moment if he should tell his father that his curiosity got the better of him. "I…got distracted and then I heard this music…and…"

"Go on: you heard music."

Ritsu understood why his father was so grave and severe before but it still made him reluctant to tell the truth, "I followed it to a shrine and saw a pretty girl."

Hayato seemed more interested now, "What was the pretty girl like?"

This threw Ritsu off guard, "Well, she wore a blue, furisode kimono with bird-of-paradise flowers, and her eyes were blue and green at the same time, like the sea."

Ritsu envisioned his beautiful fairy with the ocean eyes. He recounted the melody she played that would break the heart of even the most heartless. At last he remembered that he still had her tsuchibue. "Oh, she lost her flute-thing in the lake so I went to get it for her but she left before I could give it to her."

Ritsu pulled out the dirty instrument and showed his father. Hayato took it into his hands and examined it. "You can't give it back to her like this. You have to clean it properly."

"How am I supposed to do that? I don't even know how to play this thing." Ritsu said as Hayato handed the tsuchibue back to him. "I don't know but you could start by soaking it in water. Use a Q-tip swab to get inside and a cloth to polish it."

Ritsu looked at it. It was so covered in mud that you couldn't even see what color it was and it was almost fully crusted over. "Well," Hayato continued, "I think we're done here. See you at dinner."

Ritsu bowed to his father then got up and left. He went and got a large bowl out of the kitchen and a Q-tip swab out of the first aid kit in the bathroom. Filling the bowl with water, he took it all to his room and began cleaning the instrument. He would dip the flute in the water and rub off all the dirt that had hardened over the surface. With each rub, more color was revealed. It was the same color as his fairy's enchanting eyes. After that, every other dip would be to loosen the mud that had dried up on the inside. This took much longer since the Q-tip was limited in how far it could go and every so often, he'd break in and the swab would be trapped inside.

Since he was absent for dinner, Hayato had Tetsuya deliver it to Ritsu's room but Ritsu was too busy to even notice his growling, empty stomach or the savory smell of the food just outside his door. Tetsuya looked in and recognized this familiar focus. The last time he was like this, he was plucking petals from a flower to decide his love for Fujioka. Perhaps this was just like that time.

By the next day, he had gotten all the mud out of the inside after breaking, pulling out, and replacing eight Q-tips. He was late getting to sleep and had trouble staying awake in class. After falling asleep one too many times, his teacher took pity and told him to get some rest in the infirmary. As he slept, his fellow classmates discussed their own ideas as to why.

"Kasanoda's pretty tired today. Is he alright?"

"Maybe he had to do a stake out last night."

"No way, Yakuza heirs don't do grunt work. He probably had an important meeting and they had to do it early in the morning when the keisatsu patrols weren't as strong."

"What if he has a cold."

"Maybe, let's ask him at lunch."

When lunch came around, Ritsu was at a table by himself polishing the tsuchibue with a satin cloth. His new friends noted that he didn't even have a lunch in front of him. "Oi, Kasanoda-san!" Ritsu finally looked up to see Hirotou Yuki and Arisawa Seiji coming to join him.

"Hey." Ritsu replied.

"What's up with you today? You've been really sleepy." asked Yuki concernedly.

"Sorry about that, I was up late cleaning this." Ritsu showed them the tsuchibue.

"Is that a tsuchibue? I heard they're one of the easiest things to learn how to play." Yuki claimed excitedly.

"Are you taking up music now?" asked Seiji.

"No, this girl I saw at a shrine dropped it in the lake so I went to get it but she left before I could give it back." Ritsu confessed.

Yuki lit up like the sky at midnight on New Year's Day, "Kasanoda-kun, that is so sweet! Was she pretty? Did your eyes meet? What was she like?"

"Hirotou-san, chill out." Seiji said as he pulled Yuki out of Ritsu's face. "So you going to see this girl tonight to give it back?"

"Yeah." Ritsu replied, rubbing the tsuchibue some more to make it gleam.

Yuki clenched up and squealed, "That's so romantic, Kasanoda-san. Did you get her name?"

"No, I've never even spoken to her."

Yuki squealed once more. "Oh, I wish I could go too but I have violin lessons. It's not fair."

"I have a tea ceremony to attend." Seiji declared, "Sorry I can't come. But you need to eat something, Kasanoda-san. You only have one body; you need to take care of it."

"I know."

When the bell rang, instead of going to the Host Club like usual, Ritsu darted down the front steps, out the front door, and through the main gate. He ran and ran until he finally came to the pagoda street. Out of breath, he walked the rest of the way to the shrine and sat down under the same shidareyanagi tree that his fairy rested under. He waited and waited and waited for his fairy to return but she never came.

Maybe she didn't have plans to come that day. Maybe she had to be somewhere else. Whatever the reason, she wasn't there and the sun had already begun to set. He knew better than to stay out late again so he got up to go home. Ritsu noticed his boys following him as he left. What could they have been thinking as he sat there all that time?

There were people about but fewer than midday. Only two other people needed the same crosswalk at the same time he did. As the red hand flash to a white person walking, the woman next to him sped across while the teenage boy strolled behind him. Their footsteps echoed in his ears.

Three cars had made it to the T-intersection; one green one to the right of the turn, and two to his left, one blue, one red. The blue turned right into the T while the red stayed behind to cross over. Suddenly, a loud hum was closing in on his ear and the last thing he heard before seeing a dark brown Cadillac racing towards him at full speed was "_Long live the Mioji's!_"

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><p><strong>AN**: Thank you so much for reading. I'm sure I've failed to truly capture Kasanoda's personality but I only have two episodes to work off of so please don't hate me forever. Also, I believe I forgot to insert translations in the last chapter so here are the translations for chapters 1 and 2.

**Pagoda no Michi** (title) = _Path of pagoda trees_  
><strong>Tsuchibue<strong> = _ocarina_  
><strong>Shidareyanagi<strong> = _willow trees_  
><strong>Gokurakucho<strong> = _Bird-of-Paradise flowers_  
><strong>Furisode Kimono<strong> = _Kimonos with swinging sleeves_  
><strong>Ashioto<strong> = _footsteps_  
><strong>Wakaa <strong>= young lord

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and plan to read more...even though we all know what's going to happen next...or do we...?


	3. Ch 3 Umi no Me

**Canary**

**FanFiction**

_**Disclaimer**: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only._

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 3<strong>__–__ Umi no Me_

"Long live the Mioji's!"

In those few moments, those words echoed in his head as scenes of his life made slideshows in his eyes; scenes as far back as taking in his first visions of the world and the blinding light of his first dawn, his genesis. The long, flowing, billowing hair that brushed across his face with the morning breeze until the gentlest hand he could ever know pushed that hair behind her. Her face was so familiar but was this his first time seeing it or was this the face that drifts in and out of his dreams every other night? Was this really part of his life or was it an invention of his own fabrications to find an infinite peace in a world about to end?

As the visions pass, the dark, brown Cadillac blurred as it rushed nearly full speed at him; the front bumper rising further from the ground with each gained notch on the speedometer. Only feet away, Kasanoda Ritsu's end had come before he had even a moment to realize or prepare.

Suddenly, he felt a force against his back and the blurr of chocolate seemed to drift off to the right. Was it deterring from its original path? No, it remained faithful to its course. But then why…?

Ritsu was brought back from his trance as he was shoved into the pavement of the sidewalk on the other side of the street. He landed on his left shoulder and took a few moments to lament over the pain. "OW! HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

Ritsu stopped when he saw that he just yelled at the boy who saved his life. The poor boy was clearly frightened not only by the near-death experience but also Ritsu's outburst. "Ah…s-sorry. Thanks…alot."

The boy seemed to be about his age but with smaller features. He hid under a grey hoody with short sleeves, shades that he scurried to get back on his face, and baggy pants that draped over his sneaker-like sandals. It was almost like he was trying to hide from someone.

"Y-you okay?" the boy managed, still a little shaken.

"Yeah…hey, your arm…" Ritsu saw the boy's right arm scratched up terribly from his shoulder to the back of his hand. When they landed, he tried to cushion Ritsu fall more than his own and his right arm took the brunt of the damage. The boy finally become aware of it but did well to hide the pain. Ritsu lifted himself off the ground and offered the boy his hand. He took it and helped pull himself up grabbing a small sling bag and resting it over his shoulder. Ritsu observed how petite and soft his hands were. It was like touching satin in undersized amounts, and his wrists were even smaller; so thin and delicate. Standing up, he belatedly minded the eyes of the small crowd that played as witnesses.

"Come on, I'll take you to a clinic." Ritsu began to pull him to the one he knew was nearest. The boy pulled away quickly. "NO! No doctors; anything but a clinic."

Ritsu look on in confusion. "Alright, I could clean you up at my house…"

"No…" he objected once more, "I'll be fine."

Ritsu held out his hand insisting, "Please, I want to repay you for saving me. It's the least I can do."

He was still reluctant but he eventually nodded his head in agreement. Looking from right to left and vice versa, the boy followed Ritsu to the Kasanoda syndicate, closely followed by Katashi, Isamu, and Ishioto who grew closer with every step. They seemed hesitant to approach.

"Are those guys following us?" the boy asked, seeming unnerved by them. "Don't worry. They're my dad's men. They're there to protect me from the guys that almost hit me back there."

"They seem new at being bodyguards?" he remarked. Ritsu looked back over his shoulder at the boy. He was cautiously watching them. "Yeah," Ritsu answered, "this is actually their first day."

As they came to the syndicate, the doors opened wide and a parade of men greeted them formally. They all spoke in unison. "Welcome home, Wakaa."

The boy jumped startled. They all paused for a second when they saw the boy but shot back into their formalities a second later. This time, the unity was a little off. "Welcome, honored guest."

He could see all these men here and noticed how they all reminded him of yakuza. "Wakaa, may we take you and your guest's bags?" asked one.

"Wakaa, may we help you accommodate your guest?" another solicited.

"Wakaa, would you and you guest like some refreshments?" proposed yet another.

"Wakaa," at last, Tetsuya appeared right on que, "Welcome home."

The boy examined Tetsuya. He seemed so out of place in this gangster-like crowd of people. His features were far less sharp and his face was so tender. "Wakaa, what happened to your friend's arm…and your shoulder?"

The boy finally took note of the light crimson stain on Ritsu's left shoulder. "It's nothing."

"Do you want me to bring the first aid kit?" he asked calmly. "N…"

Ritsu stopped. Any other time, he would have shrugged off the pain and refused, but one glimpse at the boy's arm reminded him that this wasn't that time. "Yeah…but I'll get it myself."

Ritsu took the boy's arm and led him through the halls to his room. "Wait here, I'll go get the first aid kit."

The boy found a place to sit. The room was simple and well kept; rolled up futon in the corner, overhead fan with light, a chest of drawers to the left side of the room next to a closet, and a knee-high desk. On the desk were a few small animal trinkets – a cat, a lizard, a monkey, a dragon, and a frog – and a small aquarium with a little water and a floating, plastic rock. The boy moved in closer to the aquarium. Under the floating rock was a turtle submerged in the water. At that moment, Ritsu came back with a box marked by a red plus.

"Sorry I took so long." Ritsu apologized as he sat down next to the boy at his desk, "I see you've met my turtle."

"He's cute. What's his name?" the boy questioned as Ritsu opened up the kit, "Kamehito."

"What breed is he?" the boy asked curiously. Ritsu looked up from the kit and at the turtle, "I don't know. I found him two days ago crawling out of a trash bag on the street. I haven't really had the chance to find out."

"You should put a water filter in here. It will help keep the tank clean." The boy suggested. Ritsu shook his head as he pull out some antibiotics, alcohol packs, and gauze, "Nah. There's not much to do around here so cleaning his tank helps kill some time."

Ritsu took the boy's right arm and began rubbing with an alcohol wipe. "AH-ngh."

"Sorry about the stinging. I don't have anything else." The boy grimaced in pain with each agonizing stroke. Because of this, Ritsu went slowly. Once one spot was clean, he delicately inched his way onto another area; cleaning away the crimson edges of the spot he already cleared. Minute by agonizing minute, he made his way from the boy's hand up to his shoulder. Ritsu thought to take the boy's mind off the stinging. "Hey, I never got your name."

"Yuu, Wakamiya Yuu;" he answered, "and yours?"

"Oh, it's Kasanoda Ritsu." The subject had to change since the sleeve of Yuu's hoody kept getting in the way of Ritsu cleaning but before he could say anything, Yuu seemed to notice and stopped Ritsu's hand. Yuu closed his eyes and took off his shades and slid off his hoody after. Underneath, he was wearing an orange, spaghetti-strap tank top. Right about now, Ritsu finally realized that this boy wasn't a boy. What's more, when she opened her eyes, he saw those same eyes of the sea.

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><p><strong>AN**: Thank you so much for reading this far. I'm going to try to get these out as fast as I can and not do a sloppy job. I really appreciate your comments; they give me motivation to continue. I you guys have subscribed to my Gargoyle FanFic, _"Impress Me"_, I appologize for not getting to it fast enough. Distractions come to me easily but one I'm focused, it take alot to get my attention. It might be because I haven;t worked out all the details to make the story make sense but I at least got the basics and I'll get back to that one soon. So look foward to an update. As for translations:

**Umi no Me** (title) = _Ocean eyes/Eyes of the Sea _(whichever you like better)  
><strong>Wakaa<strong> = _Young lord_ (refer to the english sub)  
><strong>Kamehito<strong> - this is the name I gave to a friend's turtle plush since "DT" was too stupid. It means _turtle boy_.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and plan to read more. Thank you for being so faithful and waiting patiently to read more of _"Canary"._ I appreciate it and hope you leave tons of comments. I'm sure that since fanfics with Kasanoda are so rare, _"Canary"_ will get more and more popular as time passes so I'll keep updating to keep it at the top of the list for all my future fans out there.


	4. Ch 4 Sasayaita Himei

**Canary**

**FanFiction**

_**Disclaimer**: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only._

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 4<strong>__–__ Sasayaita Himei_

Her features were justly sized; her slender arms, her velvety skin, her thin frame, her delicate hands, and her eyes that reflected the coral reefs and palm beaches, the white-capped waves and the foamy surf. She held all the magnificence of the ocean in those eyes.

Ritsu became lost in those eyes as he did only a day ago; his mouth agape, his gaze wide, and his cheeks flushed. Yuu waved a hand in Ritsu's face, "Um, Kasanoda-san?"

Ritsu blinked, snapping out of his intense daze. He noticed how her hair was a REALLY light shade of blonde, almost white, as it draped all the way down her back in waves. Yuu wiggled to remind him of her shoulder so he'd get back to work. It became very quiet after that and Ritsu was struggling not to stare. The silence continued as Ritsu finished cleaning her up and started unrolling the gauze. It was so uneasy that Yuu felt the need to break it, "Is it so bad that I'm a girl?"

Ritsu snapped to, "No! It's just that you looked like a dude. No Wait! That's not what I meant. You're not a dude. I just…"

"OW!" Ritsu stopped to realize that he just pulled the gauze too tight. Oh how he cursed himself for bumbling like that. The silence returned once again as he finished wrapping her up. It was hard to concentrate though with that strong urge to test the genuineness of such beautiful, pale locks so the job came out sloppy. Once finished, Yuu put her hoody back on and got up to leave. "If I make you uncomfortable, I won't trouble you anymore."

Her tone seemed disillusioned of his tenseness. Ritsu grabbed her wrist, "Wait."

Yuu flinched in pain when Ritsu realized that he grabbed the wrong arm and let go quickly, "Sorry…I…"

She seemed to understand and sat back down. The awkward hush was seeping through the walls. Yuu got on all fours and crawled closer catching Ritsu of guard. As she reached out for his uniform, she froze, "Um, may I…?"

Ritsu's tensed up further, "Y-yeah, g-g-o ahe-ad."

A small blush painted across her face as she removed his uniform coat. Once his coat was off, she stopped again, "Um, could you take off your vest?"

Ritsu's breath caught in his throat and his face turned bright red. She was asking him to strip. The next move was difficult to decide; grant her request or stay clothed. She entreated once more, "Kasanoda-san?"

The pressure was building until he nearly snatched it off of himself. Then he watched as Yuu unbuttoned his shirt, the last article of clothing between her soft hands and his bare chest. Ritsu was frozen stiff. His eyes shut tightly as if to prepare for what he believed was next. Yuu only unbuttoned five of the eight when she began to pull from the collar down his left arm. The brush of her smooth fingers over his arm sent chills up and down his spine. At that moment, there was a loss in contact but in another moment, he felt a sharp, burning pain on his left shoulder, "AAH!"

Ritsu opened his eyes to see Yuu swabbing the wound on his shoulder with alcohol. She still was blushing, no doubt from seeing a man's chest. She wiped up around the wound which had started to scab over with strands of cloth from his shirt tangled in, "I'm going to remove the scab so I can clean it properly. Is that okay?"

"S-sure." Ritsu braced himself for the peeling. It was quick but stung a little. Wrapping the scab in one of the scarlet wipes, she grabbed another and continued wiping. The stinging was unreal but since his wound was much smaller, it was quickly over. She blew on it gently to calm the burning sensation. Ritsu's grimace slowly disappeared. Grabbing the gauze, she unrolled a little and started to wrap him in it. The quiet of the room was relentless so Ritsu finally asked her, "W-why…were you dressed…like a…"

"Like a boy?" she interrupted, "I'm hiding from my bodyguards."

Ritsu raised an eyebrow, "You have body guards too?"

"Yeah," she answered, "but unlike yours, they're well-seasoned. The only place they don't follow me is in the school because the principle won't allow it. So they sit outside waiting to me take me home every day. But today, my friend Ran helped me sneak out past them. Since my hair and eyes stand out, I wore a disguise."

Ritsu was still weary of looking her in the eyes. He kept his head lowered.

"Thank you for not staring," she continued, "but you don't have to completely cut off eye contact."

Ritsu looked up to see that her eyes were looking dead back at him. She was so close. His eyes went wide and a blush reddened his face. He couldn't stop staring so she broke eye contact and finished the last few rounds of gauze and backed away. Ritsu noted that his bindings were much cleaner than hers. Yuu grabbed her stuff and prepared to leave, "Thanks for cleaning up my arm. See you around."

Ritsu actually didn't want her to go but who was he to stop her. Yuu slid open the door and right before her stood a middle-aged man. It startled her so that she fell backwards. The man had black and gray hair with an equally colored mustache, "Leaving so soon? But you MUST stay for dinner."

"But I-I have to be somewhere in a…" she was interrupted by the man's sudden cold glare, "But I insist."

His voice was deep and gruff and sent shivers up and down her back. Surely this was the master of the Kasanoda syndicate. Only a pure yakuza could possibly solicit such a reaction from ordinary people. Ritsu objected in her stead, "Otou-san! She said she had somewhere to be!"

Both the man and Yuu were frozen from shock of Ritsu's terrifying outburst. The man recovered more quickly, "B-but I've already prepared a seat for her."

Yuu shrank into her space feeling caught between two menacing forces. Before she was even aware, she found herself seated in front of a tray of food; tempura domburi, yakizakana, and miso. The room was filled with all the men from before but surprisingly, it was very quiet in there. When Yuu pictured a room full of yakuza, this awkwardness was not what came to mind. They weren't eating but instead rest their gaze on her. Was it the way she looked, that she was a female in a house full of men? Suddenly, an itch came to her nose. She tried to hold it but couldn't so she grabbed her napkin and sneezed into it, "Sumimasen."

Harmoniously, the men excused her of her sneeze, "ODAIJI NI!"

She found herself taken aback by the abrupt wave of voices. Their intense gaze remained after so Tetsuya, who was sitting across from her pointed to his chopsticks to tell her they were waiting for her to take the first bite. Though unsure if she could even eat all of it, she picked up her chopsticks. The men leaned towards her in anticipation. She picked a tempura and brought it to her lips. The men were on the edge of their seats. She took a bite and chewed, "Oishi."

All the men heaved out a deep breath. Ritsu's father commented, "I'm pleased that it's to your liking. Your presence among us seems to have captivated my men."

At last, the men began to eat and talk freely. Ritsu remained quiet. Yuu was very sure but she felt she needed to confirm it, "Excuse me, Kasanoda-dono,"

"Please," he interrupted, "call me Hayato."

"Okay, Hayato-dono," she continued, "Are you yakuza?"

The atmosphere of the room darkened in that instant and all went silent again. All eyes were on her and every face they belonged to became a grueling mug shot. Hayato answered her calmly, "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Yuu could feel the menacing aura fuming around her and it chilled every inch of her body. Ritsu cut it, "DAMMIT! QUIT SCARING HER, YOU IDIOTS!"

With the scariest mug of all, each person in the room was turned to ice. Yuu was so scared that she accidentally knocked her miso soup onto herself and the ground. Tetsuya got up immediately to clean it up.

"I-I'm sorry." Yuu tried to help him but he refused, "It's all right."

Tetsya cleaned up the spot as best he could with the napkins while Yuu went on to clean up herself. However, like the floor, there remained a stain on her hoody.

"I apologize," Hayato intruded, "We're currently at war. Things have been so tense lately that it's become hard to trust people. Yes, we are yakuza but there is no present reason to fear for your life."

"What do you mean 'war'?" she entreated. Hayato sipped some miso soup from his oriental spoon before responding, "We are the most powerful yakuza in Kanto. The Mioji's want that power to take our place. Right now, we're nearly at equal standing but the battles for territory will only worsen from here."

Yuu thought for a moment, "What if you just share the title, or you could merge syndicates through an agreement."

The men were immediately in a riotous laugh. "Yeah, like that'll happen!" one voiced.

"They'd sooner kill their first born!" blasted another. Hayato spoke up, "I admire your innocence but we're yakuza, it simply doesn't work that way. But enough about us, what about you? Where do you go to school?"

Yuu was a little embarrassed by the outburst she caused, "St. Lobellia Academy."

"I see…" he nodded.

The conversations continued. Yuu came to understand the men to be crude and protective of their young lord but that was the good side of them. They were relatively honest and loyal men and each of them had their own kind side. Hayato was stern, but justly wise for his age. He came off as a little doting but as a yakuza, he can still be a very nerve-racking person. And Yuu, well she was a little clumsy but very interesting young woman. It came to be an exceptionally noisy but entertaining dinner and by nightfall, Yuu had completely forgotten about her previous engagement. Ritsu offered to take her home but Hayato advised against it. Instead, Tetsuya and Katashi took her. It was a pleasant car drive for the most part but there were a few moments of silent unrest in her eyes, like something heavy was weighing on her mind.

"Wakamiya-san," called Katashi, "Which way next?"

Yuu looked out the car window and realized they were very close, too close actually, "Stop the car!"

Katashi floored the brakes nearly sending them colliding into the windshield. Katashi and Tetsuya looked up to find themselves in front of a medium, traditional estate. Yuu opened the door and stepped out, "This is fine, thanks."

"See you later." Tetsuya called as they drove off. Yuu waited until they turned the corner and were out of sight. Instead of walking onto the property, she walked a little further, at least two more estates down to an equally beautiful one as the first. Before she could open the door herself, a man and a woman opened the door. "Haha-ue, Otou-sa…"

Her father slapped her head into a spin. He then grabbed her arm and yanked her into the house. He hauled her down the hallway and into a specific room where he dropped to his knees pulling her to the floor with him. Her mother sat on her knees on the other side of her. Her mother and father bowed with their noses in the tatami mats while her father pushed her head down with theirs. Her mother and father then proceeded to express their deepest apologies, "Moushiwake-gozaimasen!"

Before them, was a man in a business suit standing tall over them, "Leave us."

Her mother and father left the room but the mother looked back as the sliding doors shut behind them. Feeling little regret, Yuu chose to stand instead of keeping her face in the floor. The man glared at her, "Where have you been?"

Yuu remained silent so he continued, "You were to accompany me to a very important dinner. Imagine my embarrassment when I arrived alone."

Yuu remained silent still, "You understand my belief in silent women but you will speak when spoken to."

At long last, Yuu broke her silence, "Don't think for an instant that I remain silent for you. I will use my voice whenever I choose, not on your whim."

There was a pause in his speech but a short-lived pause nonetheless, "You stink of fish, and I imagine that stain is miso. So you'd rather eat in the company of someone other than your fiancé. How scandalous."

He motioned his fingers to his personal bodyguards. One took hold of her arms while the other belted her in the gut causing her to regurgitate her dinner all over the floor. Tears filled her eyes with every agonizing wave she coughed up. "Those clothes really suit you right now – stain and all – but your gorgeous features are deserving of far better. I expect to see that from now on."

Yuu, weak from vomiting, tried to stand but was slightly off balance. "You aren't even wearing your engagement band." he continued, "How many rings must I waste on you? I anticipated as much and got you a replacement."

"Keep it. Your mark insults me." Yuu strained defiantly. He shook his head in disappointment. "Your constant rebellion tires me. I treat you well enough. Get you the finest things. All I ask is that you not embarrass me and where my ring."

"I'd sooner have no hand for you to put it on." He slapped her to the ground and stomped on her left hand repeatedly. Yuu cried out in anguish. She could feel her hand rapidly breaking under his rage. Once her hand was thoroughly crippled, he took her wrist in one hand and placed the ring on her finger then threw it down to the floor. She grimaced profusely from his rough handling. He took her hair into his grasp and brought her to his suitable low, "This time, you'll feel pain if you remove it again. I was preparing another dinner to make up for today but I can't have you attend with your injuries. I don't even know how you damaged your arm like that. You seem to forget your place a little too often. I consider myself a reasonable man but I will not be made a fool of and ESPECIALLY not to THIS degree! This rebellion will end or I will end you and your family!"

Yuu went silent, this time to deny him the pleasure of seeing her in more pain. He let go of her hair to stand tall once more, letting her head thud against the tatami. "Now that we have an understanding," he straightened out his suit then turned, "good evening."

Her fiancé left and her mother ran in to help her. She could have the whole world listening to only her and no one would answer to her whispered screams.

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><p><strong>AN**: Sorry, for the wait. Preparing for college is time consuming and so is moving. Well, this is our debut of Hiroshi Ienari, the jerk of a fiancé. And before you decapitate me on the cliches of the parents who arranged a marriage with a drunk and/or violent boyfriend and the helpless girl who can't escape, I didn't do that. Her parents have a deeper connection with her but their culture of arranged marriages just comes with the package. She's actually ok with marrying him for the good of the company since she's very smart and was preparing to run the company herself anyway but the first time he hit her, she's know's there's no reason to stay with him so he's virtually a stalker now. And the abusive boyfriend thing, he's more complex than that. He's a decent gentleman but he hates being publically embarrassed; that's when his rage become uncontrollable. He's all about image so his rage is somewhat justified but yeah, he does take it to the Chris Brown level.

Any loop holes in my explanaition will probably be explained within the next few chapters when I can find out how she's going to escape those body guards again. If you have any ideas, they're appreciated and I will give you credit for a good idea but please keep them realistic to the point where they're not constantly being fooled by stuff a child can figure out. Just remember, I haven't read the manga so I'm working soley off of two episodes from the anime, give me some credit for creativity.

And if you were unaware, the all new Ouran High School Host Club Japanese drama is airing right now. It started the 22nd of July and a new episode airs every Friday so the subbed version should be available within 72 hours of that. For all of you who like to see stuff dubbed, get a clue. It's Asian drama, it will NEVER be dubbed. I saw the first episode and it was ok. The comedy is a little forced and Tamaki a little too obvious with the "I'm in love" bit but overall, it's still ok. I'd reccomend seeing at least the first episode. The first 4 episodes are on but if you find it on other sites, that's good too. I hope you enjoyed my story and plan to read future chapters.

_Sasayaita Himei_ = Whispered Scream  
><em>Otou-san<em> = Father, Dad  
><em>Tempura<em> = prawn, other seafood, and vegetables deep-fried with some other food put on top of the rice  
><em>Domburi<em> = a bowl of cooked rice _Yakizakana_ = grilled fish  
><em>Miso<em> = dissolved miso paste in hot water and additional ingredients such as wakame seaweed and small pieces of tofu  
><em>Sumimasen<em> = excuse me  
><em>Odaiji ni<em> = equivalent to "bless you" for sneezing  
><em>Oishi<em> = delicious  
><em>Haha<em> = Mother, Mom; this is a more familiar term than _Okaa-san_ but with the personalized _–ue _at the end, it expresses the deeper connection between mother and child  
><em>Tatami<em> = traditional Japanese-style floor mats  
><em>Moushiwake-gozaimasen<em> = a form of "I'm sorry" but with severe regret of what was done


	5. Ch 5 Higo

**Canary**

**FanFiction**

****Disclaimer**: **_In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only._

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 5<strong>__ - Higo_

The days roll by and he has not heard a thing from her. It's not like he was expecting her to keep in touch but he would like to see her again. He couldn't get her out of his mind – those eyes that shamed the tide, that hair that fell like starlight – but she feared him so maybe it was better this way. It was a quiet Saturday in the morn of twilight and the cicadas couldn't yet be heard. Neither the birds nor the bees were awake to see that the sun had not yet met the horizon.

But Ritsu was up, awakened for the third time by his dreams until he could not close his eyes anymore. The same way he saw her, he saw Susano-wo's glittering eyes marked by a path of sun-foam complexion from the horizon where he met Hiruko. How the flaxen sun spray sending neo-shine into the world.

Ritsu could see himself walking across the water, down the path of shine and tide. With each rippled step, Hiruko receded and Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto arose, making his path paler and less glittery. Tsukiyomi's face was sallow on the horizon like but his shine couldn't be more lurid.

As the path came to an end, all the sky around him and the water below swirled together. Susano-wo, Hiruko, Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto, all became one to form the most beautiful being he'd laid eyes upon. This new creation was a being of unidentifiable light in the shape of a woman. Her face was too bright for his to gaze upon but he looked anyway. This would be the seventh time seeing her and each time she'd kiss him, his eyes would open.

Ritsu knew who it was in the dream but he kept quiet about it. Ever since she first looked at him with those unreal eyes, his heart was in knots and his joints were locked. He was pretty sure it wasn't love but just the same attraction to her that he had for Fujioka-san; simply drawn in by unparalleled beauty and the chance of a deeper connection.

He looked over at his clock which read 5:23am, far too early for him to awaken. Yet there he was, lying flat and staring at the ceiling, thinking of her. Just then, he heard a faint knocking. He listened closely for it again but another knock never came, so he dismissed it. After a while, he heard another faint noise, like a metal trashcan being ransacked by some hungry scavenger. He would have thought it to be some tanuki but next came another faint sound, a human-like grunt. After that came the breaking of a solitary roof tile. Someone was foolish enough to try to break into a yakuza syndicate.

One last sound before Ritsu left his room was another grunt. Ritsu grabbed a wooden bat and readied it for whomever he'd find. He wasn't thrilled about bashing anyone's head in but with things the way they've been lately, a little extra defense never hurt. The halls were empty and calm and no more noises could be heard to pinpoint the perp. He cautiously rounded a corner and went outside through the side shōji doors. It was still a little dark out but from behind the door he could barely make out a figure resting against the Kappa statue near the pond.

There was no doubt in his mind that this was one of the Mioji's flunkies trying to take him out. The grass was cool and wet in the morning air as he stealthily inched closer and closer to the figure breathing heavily. Once he was near enough, he raised the bat ready to strike the unsuspecting character. However, just before his swing, there was a tickle in his nose and he couldn't hold it back. He sneezed allowing the silhouette half a second to notice him and dodge.

The figured darted to the right just in time to miss his slugger. Ritsu brought his arms back around to swing again. He was not going to be murdered on his own turf. The figure just kept darting out of the way making him wonder why this person wasn't even trying to fight back. The character grabbed the nearest thing available – which happened to be an outdoor broom – and held it up as defense but in one swing, it was shattered. Ritsu didn't know he had that much strength. The blow frightened the individual just enough for him to let out a small whimper.

Ritsu stopped upon hearing that. It didn't sound at all like a killer but more like a scared girl. He looked more closely at the personage cowering at his mercy. It had long, wavy, light hair that Ritsu was familiar with. Letting his eyes adjust further, the character was now recognizable as Yuu.

"Wakamiya-san?" Ritsu dropped his bat, mortified at what he could've done and fell to his knees, "Are you okay?! Did I hurt you?!"

The poor girl was trembling uncontrollably. What he didn't know was that she had been out for a while and her eyes had long adjusted to the darkness. All she could see that scared her speechless was the most terrifying demon she'd ever laid eyes on trying to kill her. Even now, she still could not find words. He tried to reach for her but she shuddered, still hazed by the memory of his face.

He redraws his reach just as her level of alarm reached its peak sending her into a state of unconsciousness. Ritsu looked at her just lying there and panicked. Even though he knew his bat never hit anything aside from the broom, he invented the idea that he hit her head instead of the broom. Terrified of his delusions, he carried her on his back and took her back to his room to look at her.

Setting Yuu down on his futon, the first thing he checked was her head. He was certain he'd find blood on in her hair but he searched every inch and found none. He sighed deeply in relief before continuing the examination. There were no further injuries outside of the one she had when she saved him. Her whole arm was still covered in bandages. Her left hand now had bandages on it though. He couldn't remember her getting that around him. The bandages looked old. Since the first aid kit was still in his room, he decided to redress them less out of a small sense of duty and more out of curiosity.

She seemed to wince in her sleep upon touching her hand so he tried to be as gentle as possible. The bindings were slightly discolored as they unraveled. Underneath the final wrap, her skin had the print of the gauze wrappings. There were deep scratches on the back of her palm on the side of her pinky finger and most of her hand was swollen. If he had to guess, she probably got her hand crushed, maybe under some furniture. That would explain the scrapes and the wincing, but the other injury there puzzled him. On Yuu's ring finger though was signs of an extra injury; a halo of dried blood, a flattened scab, encircled her finger as if an undersized ring was wrenched off violently.

He reached for the kit and prepared to use the gauze. Wrapping fingers were challenging to Ritsu but he gave it his best shot. Ritsu couldn't take his gaze off her ring finger even as he wrapped the gauze over it. Even as he finished, the visual was still in his head and he didn't know why. Was it because it was the most notable injury on her hand or was it the fact that it was on the finger that binds two people together? Now that he thought that, he wondered if this meant Yuu had another man. He didn't see her wearing a ring the last time she was here so perhaps not.

There were no signs that she'd wake soon so he decided to let her sleep. The other arm didn't appear to need tending and he was glad of it since rebinding that might rouse her. even though she fainted, her sleep face was almost as radiant as when conscious. Ritsu pulled the covers over her so she wouldn't catch a cold in the chilled air. He rested at his desk, watching his Kamehito for a while crawling in and out of the water in his tank, until sleep took him.

Loose in slumber, he heard footsteps but his eyes were too heavy to see whose they were. Moments later, he felt a slight weight on his back and sudden warmth to block out the chill in the air. Then more footsteps came before true sleep took him.

Later that morning, Ritsu awoke again, no haunting dreams this time. The light of the sun was seeping through the washi paper of the shōji doors. There was a blanket on his back, no doubt from his dad's softer side. Yuu still lay unconscious in his futon, unaffected by the light filling the room. Her skin was glowing in the light, her wavy, platinum locks glimmering. There was a celestial asleep in his bed and he dared not do anything to wake her. Ritsu looked over at his clock, it read 8:44, just a few seconds shy of when he'd wake up to feed Kamehito. Then he realized it was also just a few seconds shy of buzzing. He leapt over Yuu in the futon and lunged for it to stop the buzzing just moments after the first buzz. He heaved a sigh of relief that he made it in time until he heard Yuu shifting on the futon. He hadn't noticed that his landing was louder than the alarm would have been.

Yuu opened her eyes slowly, trying to get a feel of her surroundings. Ritsu remembered the possibility that he slugged her and darted to her side, "Are you alright?! Does it hurt anywhere?"

Yuu looked up at him trying to register the voice until her eyes adjusted to the light, "Kasanoda-san?" She sat up and tried making sense of his questions but she was wobbly and nearly flopped back down when Ritsu caught her, "You shouldn't get up yet."

Now Ritsu was convinced; he whacked her and now she was too dizzy to even sit up, "I'M SO SORRY! I'll make up for it! Here," he grabbed the wooden bat, "you can beat me all you want until I bleed out. No wait, you can't right now because you're too dizzy from when I hit you! I need to call a doctor. No wait, you wouldn't want to see a doctor! But you need medical attention so maybe I'll be your doctor. No wait, that would seem perverted and I'm not even certified! But what if you die?! ARGH! WHAT DO I DO?!"

Yuu reached up and took Ritsu's pants since he was standing in a panic right now, "You didn't hit me, I just got a little scared. That's all." Ritsu let go of the hair he was aiming to rip out and calmly sat down next to her relieved. Yuu giggled a little, she had such an eye catching smile, "I seem to have caused you trouble again."

The tone of her voice was serious now as she tried again to get up, "I'm sorry. It was a mistake coming here." Her left hand hurt from the sudden weight of lifting herself off the futon. She grimaced, alerting Ritsu, "Does it hurt?"

"I'm fine," she insisted, "it's not that serious." Nonetheless, he insisted on helping her up. Just then, Ritsu's father poked his head in, "I see you're up. Come with me."

Yuu seemed slightly unnerved but at the same time calm. It was as if she were prepared for this but still worried about it. Hayato led them into the room where most negotiations took place. Now Ritsu was unnerved because this was also where deals went sour and incompetent flunkies were dragged away screaming for mercy. His fathr sat on the pillow in his designated spot and motioned for Yuu to sit on the pillow in front of him. Ritsu sat on the pillow far off to the side where he usually sat to observe and learn from his father. Now he was wishing he could sit next to her to help her face whatever his dad had planned. She didn't know much about his world to even fathom the danger she might be in just by sitting on that pillow. It was clear she misunderstood how serious her offense of breaking an entry on a yakuza compound in the middle of such tense circumstances with a rival syndicate was. Anything could happen in the game now and his father was holding all the cards.

Ritsu held his breath when Hayato opened his mouth to speak. But before any words came out, Yuu paid him a traditional bow of apology, "I apologize for breaking into your compound. There is no excuse so I will accept any punishment you deem fit." His dad was almost speechless, he gambled that she would apologize first but never imagined she wouldn't try to excuse her actions, "So you have nothing to say in your defense?"

Ritsu was on the edge of his seat while Yuu remained with her head an inch off the tatami calm as can be, "No, Kasanoda-dono. My actions were inexcusable and I pray for your forgiveness." His grin came at a surprise, "Then you may have it. I don't think a punishment is necessary after that."

He was impressed and it saved her. Yuu rose her head with a stern face, showing no signs of divergence. Ritsu tried to let out his breath slowly so no one would notice, his heart still racing to a danceable beat. His father continued, "However, I must ask, why did you break in?" Yuu sat up strait to seem as professional as possible a feat Ritsu was accustomed with from attending Ouran, "I came to ask a request of you if you will hear it."

His father nodded, "And what is your request?" Yuu took a deep breath before speaking, "I request transitory asylum."

Both Hayato and Ritsu were arrested to this. It was never heard by yakuza of to give asylum to anyone outside of the family. It crossed the boundaries of the trust system where in the yakuza world it meant 'trust no one'. But Hayato was curious still, "My sources also tell me you are the daughter of Wakamiya Minato of the Senhikari Industry, electricity manufacturing. Am I correct?"

Yuu nodded so he carried on, "It would seem you are a well-honed businesswoman in magnanimous standing so what could provoke such a request? And why here?"

Ritsu could feel the air intensifying but remained silent as he still had no place in this to speak. Yuu almost seemed as emotionless as the dons of other syndicates, "Your reputation precedes you. My father's company has been compromised and I require a remote, undocumented place to reverse the dilemma. I cannot share how or why this has all come about as it is also personal family business so all details will be kept on a strict, need-to-know basis. I can assure you that your only involvement in all this would be my asylum."

The tension kept building within Ritsu while his father grew ever more collected. Hayato's eyebrows went up into his head line then remarked her hand, "You wouldn't be running from anything, would you?"

Yuu shook her head, "Do not mistake me. I have made certain arrangements for the company and my family. However, being within their access jeopardizes those arrangements as does going to a friend for help."

"So you wish to use someone who is not on record?" Hayato thought for a moment then, "I'll have to refuse your request. In trying times such as these, I can't afford to expose my family or my syndicate directly to a total stranger, especially one of your background. You'll have to find somewhere else." Yuu acknowledged his decision with a nod, "That's perfectly understandable. Nevertheless, since I have nowhere to go, I'm forced to this as repaying a debt."

"And what debt do I owe you?" his father queried, the room getting tenser. "Going on ten days ago, a car was accelerating at impressive towards your son, and, had I not impeded, you would undoubtedly no longer have an heir."

Ritsu's eyes went wide and his whole boddy began to shake as Hayato arose slowly from his seat, his tone reformed to menacing, "Ojō-sama, are you attempting to threaten me?" Ritsu's eyes whizzed to Yuu who faltered only a moment before going blank again, "No, I'm simply reminding you of the circumstances. I may not know much about the world of the yakuza and very well never will, but I am well-versed in the language of business and both have their own standard honor code. I respect you Kasanoda-dono and would never purposely force your hand or try to manipulate you but I have a family to look after as well and if it means that I have to beg you for sanctuary to protect them, then I will."

Yuu returned her head to the tatami and groveled shamelessly, "So I beg of you Kasanoda-dono, please, for the sake of my family and the future of my company, will you grant my asylum."

His father stood tall, still very much visibly enraged. He directed his attention to Ritsu who felt a shiver crawl slowly down his back. He felt every bump, every square millimeter of ice, as he found his composure and returned to a sitting position. "May I at least know of any possible threats to my family in agreeing to this?"

Yuu took a deep but restrained breath and sat up, "Your only concern would be for Ienari Hiroshi of the Ienari Enterprise for Refined Goods. He is a small threat though and you would likely not come into contact with him even on the tertiary level." Ritsu watched the irritation drain from his dad's face, "Wakamiya-san, you are right. A life debt is owed, but not from me. My courtesies were paid with an invitation to join at my table. All further courtesies have been rescinded with this dangerous stunt of yours."

Hayato's eyes flared at Yuu's, "Ritsu, this young girl saved your life and has come to ask if you will put her up for a while in return. As the future head of this syndicate, will you deny you're her and your debt?"

Now his knees were shaking, he prayed it wasn't noticeable. Ritsu had a tendency for wanting to help others but would this decision reflect poorly on him? Would it endanger the 'Family'? Would his father lose respect for him? Yuu looked uncomfortable for the first time since they sat down. All the pressure was on his shoulders and they were both waiting for an answer. He thought up the most satisfying answer for both of them, "I-uh…feel…that…a man should be…held accountable for his debts…especially a life debt. So…I…I'll take full responsibility for the asylum of Wakamiya-san."

Her eyebrows never unfurrowed as she shifted attention to Hayato, as did Ritsu. Hayato simply closed his eyes and nodded, "A wise answer. And sound judgment."

They both let out a sigh of relief. He resumed, "Wakamiya-san, my son has allowed you to stay. However, you will be monitored daily and if you are deemed a threat to me, my family, or my business, then he will not suffice to secure your safety. Is that clear?" Yuu nodded, "Yes sir."

He persisted, "I can respect what you've done here today. You have the makings to either destroy or dominate a man and all of his assets. Pray your insolent tendencies don't ruin your chances to see tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Yuu left first as Hayato took hold of Ritsu's shoulder. His feet froze in place, "In the future, when making decisions for this family, you must make them with the family in mind, not which way my approval will go. You've done well this time and I support your reasoning. A man should honor his debts and promises. Make sure she's comfortable…and keep her out of my sight for the remainder of the day."

Ritsu nodded, "Hai, Otou-san."

"…close all your blinds and curtains to make it seem like I'm hiding there. And don't go anywhere alone. I really appreciate you doing this for me, Ran. I'm counting on you. Bye." Yuu hung up the phone just as Ritsu rounded the corner.

"Hello…" Yuu greeted. Ritsu didn't have much nerve left to look her in the eyes, "Yo…"

Yuu also kept her head lowered, "I…I just got off the phone with my friend. She's going to bring my stuff to any place you assign as safe." Ritsu scratched the right side of his jaw, "Well…I guess that could be the school. Ouran, I mean."

"I guess that works."

"I'll try to set up getting you to attend there. It'll be safer, and you'll be less likely to run into my-uh…dad."

"I see." Ritsu was looking off to the side with his hands in his pockets and his elbows locked. Yuu gripped her left elbow rather firmly. He felt obliged to end this setting, "I…should inform the guys to set up one of the guest rooms."

"Ah, Kasanoda-san!" Ritsu stopped but refrained from turning all the way. Yuu backed up and bowed low, "I apologize for speaking of you in that way. I did not mean it how it sounded." He turned his side to her and looked down. He did feel a little offended but was more worried about how his dad would respond to acknowledge the comment. At the current time, he didn't know how to feel about it.

"I'm very grateful, though, for what you did. I can't imagine that was easy." He never looked up but he started to blush a little, "It's nothin'." She finally came up from the bow and found some courage to look him in the eyes though he couldn't even face her way. "…It was scary though. The way you challenged my dad like that."

Yuu shuddered, "I was terrified. But I know from experience that you never falter or back down in a situation such as that." Ritsu snickered a bit, "I bet. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. I've never seen anyone corner my dad like that."

"Yeah?" she giggled along with him, then when it calmed down, they both took a deep breath. He started, "So what now? What'll you do?"

"I don't know." she answered, "I'd like to call my mother to tell her I'm okay but she'll stay on the phone too long panicking. She always causes such a fuss over little things. I wish she'd be more professional but I guess it's not in her nature."

They walked down the halls slowly towards the guest room, a ploy by Ritsu so he could get a chance to talk to her more, "So~ what's your mom like?"

Yuu thought for a moment to consider the right words, "Well," she started, "she's very compassionate, but stern. She gets emotionally involved easily though she tries to be more prudent. A few days ago at a temple down the road, she lost her temper and threw my tsuchibue in the pond. She's a great mother but it's obvious that there are just some situations she doesn't know how to handle no matter how hard she tries."

Ritsu remembered seeing Yuu in her furisodo kimono playing the saddest music he ever heard when her mother came out and pulled her inside the temple. Yuu continued, unaware of his part in all this, "Actually, she was initially against the thing that started this whole ordeal. This has been as difficult for her as it has for me. I'm sorry I can't tell you the details and I hope you can understand that."

Ritsu acknowledged her, "Nah, it's none of my business if you don't want to talk about it." Yuu half smiled, "Thank you. Still, I wish I could have gotten it back. That tsuchibue had sentimental value to me."

Just then, Ritsu remembered the tsuchibue he retrieved for her. He never gave it back. It was still in his room, "Wait here."

Yuu stood leaning against the wall waiting for Ritsu until he came back with a cloth in his hand. Inside the cloth was her tsuchibue. "My tsuchibue! Where did you find this?"

"I was there when your mother chucked it into the pond." Ritsu started, "But you left before I could give it to you so I took it home and cleaned it up for you. I went back the next day but you weren't there so I went home. We met that day at the intersection."

Yuu looked at him and recognized him "You were the boy with the vibrant, red hair standing in the pond before I left." Yuu stated as she graciously hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much."

Ritsu blushed violently, "Uh, Y-y-you're w-welc-c-c-come." He couldn't believe it. A girl just hugged him. No girl had ever even touched him before, much less hug him. His heart was racing past the speed of light and he only prayed she couldn't feel it. Yuu remembered herself and corrected her actions, "Oh, I'm sorry. I…just…thank you. Thank you so much."

Her eyes look almost watery, like she was about to cry with joy as she held the instrument close to her heart. Ritsu could see the connection she had to it and barely noticed how a creeping warm feeling made him smile serenely. All he could manage was a simple but sincere, "You're welcome."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Higo<strong>_ – Asylum

_**Susano-wo**_ – Japanese Shinto God of the ocean

_**Hiruko**_ – Japanese god of the morning sun; more commonly known as Ebisu, the only one of the seven lucky gods to come from Japan

_**Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto**_ – Japanese Shinto god of the moon

_**Tanuki**_ – raccoon, more commonly translated as raccoon-dog

_**Sh**__**ōji**_ – traditional Japanese sliding doors

_**Kappa**_ – a legendary water sprite in Japanese folklore; the equivalent of the Scottish Kelpie

_**Futon**_ – traditional Japanese-style bedding that can be easily stored

_**Washi**_ – Japanese-made paper used for shōji doors, origami, clothes, cooking, etc.

_**Senhikari**_ – it's my combination of sen (1000) and hikari (light) to fit the genre of the company

_**Ojō-sama**_ – Young Lady, Miss, Ma'am

_**Tsuchibue**_ – Japanese for ocarina

****Disclaimer**: **_In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only._


	6. Ch 6 Jiku no Kaiten

_**Canary**_

**OHSHC FanFiction**

**Disclaimer**: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 6<strong>__–__ Jiku no Kaiten_

Another morning came, sun rising into view, partially blinding all who dared to look upon its beauty. A scheme of colors lightly hued the sky a light lemon with thin strips of orange and pink. The shadows cast on the ground stretched long and hard as if waking from the darkness of night.

In the courtyard leading to the door, the syndicates were lined in perfect rows on either side awaiting their young lord and their honored guest to emerge from the house. Just outside the gate was a black car, engine heated and ready to make its way to Ouran Academy. The doors opened and alongside the vibrant red Kasanoda Ritsu stood a stunning young woman in a standard honey Ouran uniform ready for her first day. All bowed in a wish-you-luck style and spoke with the utmost respect with faces just as vibrant, "Wakaa, Ojō-sama, Ohayou gozaimasu!"

"Ohayou gozaimasu." Yuu paid them a complimentary smile with her greeting making the men blush uncontrollably. Ritsu, who would usually answer with a simple 'ah', was silently lost in mixed feelings. Not only was he taken aback by how eye-catching Wakamiya-san looked and the fact that she'd be going to school with him like this for a while, but somehow, he felt like he needed to say more to his men in correspondence to Yuu's friendly reactions. She gave them such warm greetings, something he never thought to do but maybe this was something chicks do. Then again, he realized he could be more polite when his men wish him well each day on his way to school but it wasn't gangsterish. Still, he could at least say good morning but the instant he decided to say it, it caught in his throat so the men continued on, "Wakaa, Ojō-sama, can we carry your bags?"

"I've got it, but thank you." Yuu replied, "How about you, Kasanoda-kun?" Ritsu shook his head. His mouth remained open, ready for words to come out but he didn't utter even the slightest sound. He wondered what was stopping him. Out the corner of his eye he could see the men struggling not to look up at his gorgeous friend, knowing if they did, they'd stare rudely and might make her uncomfortable. The pressure wasn't even on him yet why couldn't he speak. As they neared the car, the men called out one more greeting, "Wakaa, Ojō-sama, have a great day at school."

"Thank you, you too." Yuu looked at Ritsu who seemed a little on edge. He could at least say thank you but his silence remained unbroken. However compelled he felt by Yuu's responses to answer them back in as polite manner, it went against everything he was taught. Before he realized it was too late, the car door was opened and closed and they were driving away, "Ohayou…"

Later in class 1D… "Did you hear? Kasanoda-san came to school with a mysterious girl in his car."

"What? Who is she? What class is she in?"

"No one knows. I don't even think she's from Ouran?"

"Me either. I think I'd definitely remember seeing her around here. I mean just look at that hair."

"She should really change it back to her original color. I hear that bleaching your hair can cause it to break easily."

"Well whoever she is, it's a new student so we should do our best to make her feel welcome."

Just then, the doors to the classroom opened and Kasanoda Ritsu stepped inside. Everyone in the room flocked to him. "Ne ne, Kasanoda-kun, who was that pretty girl you were with this morning? Is she a relative?"

"Ah, no." he replied a little flustered by the sudden crowding. "Then is she you're girl friend? That would be so romantic."

"No, she's just…" Ritsu blushed while trying to assert his defense but was interrupted by another curious classmate, "Or maybe she's your lover. You sly dog."

That set the steam in his head to boil over, "SHE JUST A FRIEND I MET A WHILE AGO! GOT IT?!" The whole class froze to a block of ice and just like that, for that one moment, he was the 'Walking Blizzard' once again. Just at that moment, the teacher came in and everyone rushed to stand by their seats. As the teacher took his place, the class bowed, "Ohayou gozaimasu, sensei!"

"Ohayou gozaimasu. Today, we have a new student. She is here temporarily to preview Ouran Academy before she considers a transfer here from Lobelia Academy." The teacher then motioned for Yuu to enter the class. Yuu bowed, "Hajimemashite, I am Wakamiya Yuu. I'll be in your hands for a while. Douzo yoroshiku."

All stared in awe at her unusual features as she found a seat a row and two chairs down from Ritsu. As classes carried on, Yuu could feel the occasional set of eyes on her, one was caught and told to stand outside the classroom. When lunch hour came, Yuu approached Ritsu, "I have to thank your dad for arranging all this for me. The way things are, I can't go back to Lobelia."

"Well, since you're here, I can give you a quick tour after school. After that, I have Gardening Club duties. You can help out there until it's time to go home." Ritsu addressed. Yuu didn't even need a moment to think it over, "Sounds good to me. I'd love to see what a guy like you does in the Gardening Club."

Her tone was as sincere as the sun coming up but no matter what tone she held, it wouldn't have made Ritsu blush any less. The classes passed and soon school was over. Just as Yuu was getting up to follow Ritsu around, the girls of the class mobbed her, "Wakamiya-san, right? Can I call you –chan?"

"Sure, I guess." Yuu said a little flustered. She look towards Ritsu who was waiting for her at the door but the girls continued with their inquiries so she motioned him to wait for her, "So a friend of mine thinks you bleach your hair. Do you?"

"No," Yuu shook her head, "I was born like this. It's a recessive gene I inherited from my grandfather; he was Dutch and monopolized the North Sea fishing industry for 58 years."

"So I guess you get your eyes from his side too, huh?" Yuu double checked to see Ritsu still at the door then nodded, "Yes. He used to call me Yuunami and often told my father that it should have been my name."

"So what is it about Ouran that made you consider a transfer? Or is it something about Lobelia?" Yuu shook her head, "There are certain programs I wasn't aware of prior to entering high school that aren't offered at Lobelia. I'd like to get into them but I wanted to get a feel of the Academy first."

"Well while you're here, you have to meet the Host Club." All the girls got excited at the very mention of it. It even drew some other girls into the crowd.

"Host Club? Who are they?" Yuu thought not to insult anyone but the idea of a Host Business in such a refined school somewhat unnerved her. "They're the best club in school! You have to meet them!"

All the girls started leading her towards the door. Yuu resisted a little, "Wait! I already have plans!"

Her pleas were unheard over the squeal of fangirls. The last thing she saw before being forcefully steered down the halls was Ritsu shoved against the wall, trying not to be trampled by the mob. As she passed him (too fast to apologize), she saw a forgiving smile across his face as he went the other way down the hall, no doubt heading for the Gardening Club.

Down the grand halls the girls finally stopped at Music Room #3 where Yuu was pushed to the front to open the doors herself. The girls went silent in anticipation. Yuu, giving up on getting back to Ritsu, faced the doors and prepared to open them, '_I'll apologize to him as soon as I get out of here._'

Opening the doors, Yuu and the girls of Ouran Acedemy stepped into the world of the Axis Powers. "Irashaimase!"

The theme today was Hetalia and the first to greet her was 'France', the Prince of the club, "Oh~ we have a newcomer."

Yuu greeted the Host members the way she usually did, "Hajimemashite, I'm Wakamiya Yuu. Douzo yoroshiku."

"Please, it is we who are honored to meet you, Maiden." Tamaki took her hand and kissed her knuckles, as proper especially in France, "Come sit with me. What brings such a fair maiden of stunning graces so far from the pantheon to our mortal dwelling."

Yuu had a slight blush, "I…I don't…" The twins, North Italy and South Italy, spoke up, "Hey, Boss, that's no fair." said one, then the other, "Claiming a new customer before she has a chance to choose."

They each bowed and offered a hand to her, "Come sit with us. You won't have to worry about planning for war and can enjoy the pleasures of life all day." they spoke simultaneously. Germany approached pushing up his glasses, "Those pleasures are not for you to enjoy; they're for our gurests."

Finland with his BunBun waved from his couch, "Ne ne, why don't you sit with me? Sweden will escort you" A tall stoic Sweden appeared and offered her his arm but said nothing. The ever flamboyant France exerted a second go, "So my flowing maiden that flows with the beauty of Susano-dono's playground, wilt thou grace one of us with your undivided presence?"

Yuu felt faintly claustrophobic at so many invitations and cringed slightly. Just then, the ever calm (yet naïve) Japan came to the rescue, "Come on, guys. Give her some room to breathe. Here, it's less boisterous this way"

"Ah, but my naïve 'Rising Sun', boisterousness is a vibrant sign of youth." France never missed a beat but Haruhi wasn't biting, "Or that your imbecilic head is overflowing."

Takashi cringed violently, "Haruhi, how could you be so cruel?! Mommy, did you hear the foul thing that came from our daughter's mouth?!" Kyouya, never breaching character kept writing in his note book, "Well she does have a point. Your vociferous behavior is most likely due to you narcissistic fervor. It's really quite annoying."

"Who's side are you on anyway?!" The twins laughed hideously, "That's definitely it!"

"WHO ASKED YOU TWO?!" Tamaki's fit went unnoticed while Haruhi was helping Yuu take her seat, "I apologize about all that. They're really not that bad once you get used to them."

"Oh I have no doubt about that. Everyone seems so lively here and it's a treat to watch but I do prefer quieter environments." Yuu confessed, "I believe the term is cosplay but could you fill me in on your particular roles and the persuasion of the theme you are cosplaying?" Haruhi, shrugged, "Sorry, I don't know much about it either. Our club manager schemed the whole thing and I barely had time to study the Anime. Loosely, it's about the personifications of countries active during the World War."

The sound of large machinery filled the room as a platform emerged from the floor accompanied by that famous feminine, Japanese laugh, "Ohohohohohohoho, Oh Haruhi, you're so naïve jejune when it comes to the romantic tales portrayed in anime." Renge took out a random chalk board and began the lesson, "Hetalia is the world of the Axis, Allied, and a select handful of individualized countries. The characters of Hetalia are the countries themselves and the story tells of how Germany had to train Italy in the ways of war and Japan in the ways of culture. Three sole countries united to brave against the disproportionately large Allied Powers. The genius of it is that each character is portrayed to its generic, super stereo type and insults everyone so much that it insults no one. Break these characters down and you can find our beloved host club in them. While it is ironic that Suoh-san is from France, his romantic appeal and flamboyant nature is that of the France of Hetalia. Though the twins are indeed mischievous, they enjoy the pleasures the world has to offer and sees no point to taking part in the frugalities of war and since they're twins, it becomes twice as enjoyable. Our sempais, Hunny-kun and Mori-kun, are the stoic and unsociable Sweden and the kind-natured, adorable Finland. Though their relationship in Hetalia was delicate, they found reasons to stick with one another. My Haruhi-kun is Japan, a country new to such a big world and struggling just to understand the alien ways of it. And finally, the true Host King has all the perfect appeals of Germany; professionalism, organization, aesthetic allure, and a raging sense of prudency. I did such a great job casting these character I COULD EAT THREE BOWLS OF RICE!"

The host members started a rant upon discovering how they were cast. The Italy's on their interests, Hunny spoke in defense of Sweden, and Tamaki fuming about him being the Club King. Kyouya ignored it as well as Haruhi who was busy entertaining Yuu, "So how are you enjoying the school so far?"

"It's great, thank you. The people here are so nice it's like I never left Lobelia." The Host King and the twins froze and turned towards Yuu and Haruhi's table, "Lobelia~?"

Yuu continued, "Actually, your Host club reminds me and awful lot of the Zuka Club." Kaoru spoke, "She's from Lobelia?"

"What's she doing here?" Hikaru chimed in. Tamaki was floored by her last remark, "Did she just say what I think she said?"

Kyouya, not batting an eye away from his notebook, "Due to certain private circumstances, she's here under the ruse of a school tourist but she originally attends Lobelia. Her presence has been circulating around the school, especially the fact that she's in close acquaintance with Kasanoda-kun."

Yuu looked down from Haruhi, "I'm sorry but I was supposed to meet up with someone." Haruhi shakes her head, "No, I understand, you came here with Kasanoda-kun, right?"

"Yes, actually." Yuu remained apologetic, "I do apologize if this seems rude leaving you here."

"No, it's fine" insisted Haruhi, "He should be in the Gardening Club right about now. Please tell him I said 'hello' when you see him."

Yuu nodded and excused herself for the door when she stopped and turned back. Haruhi understood instantly, "It's down the main stairs and outside towards the East Wing."

Yuu dipped her head, "Thank you." then left. She followed the instructions given her but had to stop and ask directions twice for such a huge campus before finding the club. Many of the passing girls wanted to be acquainted with her; most often drawn in by her hair while most of the boys were too intimidated to approach. When she finally got there, the club was preparing to wrap up. She saw Ritsu coming out of the green house. Not wanting to ruin her uniform, she changed into her baggy pants and hoody and helped Ritsu and the rest of the club clean up. Ritsu realized there wasn't enough time to show her around so he walked her to the car.

Driving down the street, they passed a park where the trees were starting to shed leaves that swivel into the pond. The ducks glissade atop the surface of the water, catching the eye. Ritsu noticed how Yuu shifted towards the window while they were at the stop light. Looking over her, he saw the ducks and imagined she'd want to see them. Yuu sank back into the seat all composed-like and maintained for the rest of the ride.

Later that night, the men could be heard throughout the syndicate shouting obscenities and cheering. Ritsu had given up his room to Yuu since it was more comfortable than the guest bed room, after many protests on her part. She was furthest from the kitchen and could still hear them. Hayato and Ritsu were used to it but Yuu peeked into the kitchen to see the clamor. The boys were hype over the boxing matches on the TV. Even Katashi and Isamu were so into it that they ignored their daily game of poker. Isamu, the one who usually lost to Katashi, had a near impossible royal flush and both of them were shouting pointers to the fighters on the tube that all the cards got mixed in with each other.

Yuu got on her tippy-toes and leaned in to see over their heads, the fight that they were so passionate about, but fell down the step that went into the shoe-safe floor of the kitchen. Matsuo was the first to see, "Ojo-sama! Are you okay?!"

Matsuo rushed to help her up as the rest took notice and also rushed to her aid. Yuu's weight landed on her left hand, freezing her momentarily in agony, trying not to cry out. Ishoto, helped Matsuo get her on her feet. Yuu stifled her pain to keep them from worrying, "Thank you, but I'm fine."

The boys didn't let her hand go neglected. "I'll get the first aid kit." Ishioto blurted. Katashi and Gendo moved next, "We'll get a cool cloth."

Yuuji led Yuu to a seat, Ryota made sure she was comfortable. The whole kitchen was in such a fuss over something so small. When they all got back to her with the stuff they had to make her feel comfortable and clean her up, she insisted over and over again that she was fine but they would hear none of it. Tetsuya walked in and finally put a stop to it, "That's enough, guys! Give her some breathing room."

Tetsuya noticed the old bandages on her hand and motioned for her to let them help. Yuu responded with a subtle shake of the head and an uncomfortable expression. Tetsuya got the idea and offered to walk her back to Ritsu's room, aided by Matsuo, "Are you comfortable here at the syndicate, Ojo-sama?"

"Yes Mastuo-san, very. I greatly appreciate your hospitality. I apologize deeply for taking Kasanoda-san's room." Tetsuya shook his head, "He doesn't mind and neither do we. We haven't had a female in the house since Okami-sama."

"Is that Kasanoda-san's mother? Where is she now?" They reached Ritsu's room and opened the door, "Well, she w…" Matsuo was interrupted by a small object being thrown into the room through the washi paper of the sh ōji doors leading to the yard. What wasn't enough time for Yuu to recognize the object was too much time for Matsuo and Tetsuya but not enough to react properly. They both instinctually covered Yuu and retreated into the hall as the small object detonated; Tetsuya taking the brunt of the blast while sending them fly into the wall behind them, Matsuo being the cushion. After a few moments of recovery, Yuu sat up from the floor and tried to register what just happened when she found Tetsuya unconscious and Matsuo barely maintaining. "TETSUYA-SAN! MATSUO-SAN! ARE YOU OKAY?!"

Looking into the room, Yuu realized it was a grenade that did this. Understanding that, seeing the debris protruding from Tetsuya's back made her panic, "HELP! SOMEBODY! PLEASE!"

* * *

><p>[<strong>AN**] I had a VERY hard time picking an anime for them to cosplay in. I considered Fruits Basket, Kingdom Hearts, Naruto (mostly the Akatsuki), thought Hitalia was a GREAT idea since there was so much crossover fan art of it but I hadn't seen it yet so I'd be going blind, I REALLY would have liked for them to cosplay InuYasha simply because Kyouya would have made a GREAT Sesshomaru but there aren't enough male protagonists/rouges (i.e. Sesshomaru) and too many of the personalities would clash miserably, and…I don't even know anymore. It was ridiculously hard. Then I found out that Hetalia episodes were only 5 minutes long so I squeezed them into my eating time between homework and I LOVE them, might make something of a fanfic like if Holy Rome came back to see Italy and there was this Triangle with Germany (that is if someone hasn't already done that; if they did, forget it) FTR, I don't buy most of what I had Renge say about Hetalia; she's just that overt romanticist you often see that exaggerates to her imagination's content.

Continuing, I'm ZO sorry I haven't been able to update my chapters. If I haven't already told you, I have the entire plot completed short of minor details. It just needs writing out. I've been focusing REALLY hard on my studies in college and you younger people may not understand now (don't call me old, I'm only 21) but even when the government financial aid is paying for your classes, you really come to appreciate what you learn in college (because they have no boundaries with info whereas in high school its short, to the point, and not always accurate simply for the sake of cramming it all into limited hours per semester), especially if you know what you want to do with your life and what it takes to get there.

I haven't had much free time this semester (hell, I remember pulling 4 all-nighters in a row) and my breaks with family prove just as busy, and if not busy, too noisy to concentrate while typing. Understand that I TRULY have tried to get you guys a new chapter for both my stories (need to study Costa Rica a little more before I insult people with my other fanfic). But I was the co-planner for the Thanksgiving holiday and though there is plenty of free time this Holiday break, I'm stuck in a house of nosy, loud, and at most times obnoxious preteens and screaming toddler. So I hope you guys appreciate what I do for you because I'm pulling quiet all-nighters for your chapter updates. Thanks for sticking with me this long and hopefully you'll bear with me this coming semester (2 science classes, 1 language, 1 pre-calculus…...ugh).

Here are the translations:

_**Jiku no Kaiten**_ – Roughly 'Rotation of the Axis'  
><em><strong>Wakaa <strong>_– Young Lord  
><em><strong>Ojō-sama <strong>_– Young (lady/miss), Miss, Ma'am  
><em><strong>Ohayou Gozaimasu <strong>_– Good morning [polite]  
><em><strong>Ohayou <strong>_– Good morning, Morning [casual]  
><em><strong>Sensei <strong>_– teacher  
><em><strong>Hajimemashite<strong>_ – How do you do, usually said before announcing one's name and status  
><em><strong>Douzo<strong> **Yoroshiku **_– Please to meet you, usually said at the finish of an introduction  
><em><strong>Yuunami<strong>_ – a Japanese name; "Yuu" means 'gentle', "nami" means 'tide'; "Gentle Tide"  
><em><strong>Irashaimase<strong>_ – Welcome [business formal]  
><em><strong>Ne Ne...<strong>_ - somewhat translates out into "hey", it's a way to grab someone's attention_**  
>Susano-dono<strong>_ – Japanese Shinto God of the ocean. So in saying, the sea if his playground.  
>"<em><strong>rising sun"<strong>_ – Haruhi is playing as Japan and Tamaki refers to her by the English translation of the Japanese word for Japan, Nippon (日本) which literally translates into "Sun Roots" or "Origin of the Sun", a common nickname for Japan is there for "Land of the Rising Sun"  
>"<em><strong>that famous feminine, Japanese laugh"<strong>_ – In Japanese media, women often laugh like 'ohohoho' with their hands open and wrist starting at the chin. The fingers curve up towards the side of the face and thumb curves out and down towards the chest to reflect a womanly nature. This is most often seen with women who think themselves better than others while scoffing at those they believe to be beneath them but exceptions have been made.  
><em><strong>SenpaiSempai (**_**先輩**_**)**_ – upperclassman; a Sophomore to an 8th grader, 3rd grader, or a Freshman; a college student to any primary and/or secondary school student. Whether 'n' or 'm', it still translates as (ン/ん) and will be understood as the same thing.  
><em><strong>Okami-sama<strong>_ – Mistress, hostess, lady of the house. This is a rough translation as I was unsure of what yakuza refer to the head lady as. I do know that this also translates as 'landlady'.  
><em><strong>Sh<strong>__**ōji**_ – traditional Japanese sliding doors  
><em><strong>Washi<strong>_ – Japanese-made paper used for shōji doors, origami, clothes, cooking, etc.

Hope you enjoyed it and pray you will stick with me long enough to see the end of it. We're just getting warmed up.


	7. Ch 7 Kuro no Naka ni Aruku

**Canary**

**FanFiction**

****Disclaimer**: **_In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 7<strong>__ – Kuro no Naka ni Aruku_

"…LP..SOMEBODY! HELP!" Ears were ringing, men came rushing down the hallways, all for the sonorous boom the echoed to the edges of the house. It echoed over the chants and fan shouts at the noisy television, over the business call Hayato was having not moments ago, over Ritsu trying to understand complex matrixes for homework.

As they drew close, the hallway was filled with smoke and bits of glass from pictures on the wall were stepped on; with no shoes on in a Japanese-style estate, everyone had to be careful as they quickly pushed it aside. A mass of figures were on the ground and seemed to be moving but it was yet unclear how many and who. The smoke only slightly dispersing, long hair became visible as well as a distinction of three, only one seemingly moving now. "…uya-san! Matsuo-san! Shikkari shiro!"

Now close enough, Matsuo was sprawled out from of the wall with Yuu between his legs and trapped under the weight of Tetsuya's body. There was blood on Yuu's hands from the back of Matuo's head and Tetsuya's shirt. Yuu kept calling out to them until Ryouta took her shoulders into his grip to calm her. Her eyes were wide with confusion and horror. "Ojou-sama, are you hurt?

She still could not even hear her own voice over ringing in her ears, much less Ryouta. She didn't know what to focus on; the memory, the smoke filling her lungs, the blood on her hands, her legs going to sleep with Tetsuya on them, the mass of people rushing to her and by her and around them, everything was happening too fast and her breathing getting strained in an anxiety attack was making it worse.

Ishioto, the So-Honbucho, told them to get her out of there and call an ambulance if they haven't already. He also called for some to come with him to apprehend the culprit. Ritsu watched as Yuu was pulled out from under Tetsuya and carried off down the hallway looking completely terrified. Then there was the sight of two of his vessels laid out on the floor in varied puddles of cerise fluid. Sirens could be heard off in the distance. Ritsu still trying to process this scene could only stand there and feel lost.

A hand took hold of Ritsu's arm and pulled him through the halls and deeper into the estate. When they made him sit down, he saw it was Ishioto trying to keep him from harm if another grenade was thrown in the confusion. Hayato was in there as well but on his way somewhere. He told Ritsu something but it wasn't heard over his own empty thoughts. The sirens got louder and louder until the blare was a steady volume, indicating that they were just outside. Men in white uniforms rushed pass the doorway and a few minutes later were retreating the other way with stretchers manned by the injured. Other white-suited men still were probing the halls for any other victims. One saw him and came up to check him for injuries but he too fell on deaf ears. All that could be heard after such a long pause in his mind was, '_what just happened?_'

The blare of sirens had been gone for hours, and the perimeter of the syndicate had been restored and reinforced. Ritsu finally saw his room after the blast. Black stained the walls and a violent ring marked the source of it towards the center of the floor. Practice sheets for his Kanji strokes were either partially burnt or mostly burnt, the men were frantic to put them out before the flames consumed the walls too. The turtle tank was shattered but one safe Kamehito who retreated into his shell was crawling out from under it. Ritsu pulled a large piece of glass off Kamehito's shell, cutting himself on the bitty shards against it. Sucking his two cut fingers and taking the little reptile away from the tank while ignoring further injuries from the shards on Kamehito, he was washed clean of tiny glass in the sink. Coming back to the room, some of the men had come in with buckets and brooms. "What are you doing?"

"Oh! Uh…" the three were flustered and bowed raunchily as Shitaro explained, "Wakaa, we did not mean to intrude. We thought you were at the hospital and that we'd clean up while you were gone. We shall perform Yobitsume this instant!"

"You don't have to cut off any fingers. I just wanted to know why you were in here. You don't have to leave either." Shitaro continued to bow and Saaji took up speaking, "Thank you, Wakaa. For allowing this to happen, moushiwake arimasen deshita. We'll clean up quickly."

"Don't worry about it. Who attacked us? Uh…never mind, that was stupid. Where's Wakamiya-san?"

"Ojou-sama is at the hospital with Matsuo and Tetsuya, Wakaa." Ritsu's eyes widened, "What?!"

Yuu was sitting in her hospital bed hugging her knees. There was no way sensible for her to be calm. This was the one place especially she wanted least to be, aside from home. Images, words, they echoed in her head. Not just the explosion, '_This is the world you forced yourself into. Don't you dare look away._' Ritsu's father made her watch Ishioto hack his finger. He gave it willingly since security was his job. Just thinking about it made her vomit again. Ishioto was coming in from the ER and helped her, "Ojou-sama! Hang in there! SOMEONE! GET IN HERE!"

He held her hair back as best he could with one hand as she heaved over the trash can. Nothing was coming out except the glass of water she had. One of the nurses came in and helped with pinning back her hair, "Just let it out. Try to straighten your back so it'll come out easier."

She knew who was next to her and she couldn't bring herself to look at him, only spew more into wastebasket. She did manage an apology, "Ishioto-sa…" vomit, "I'm sorry. So…" more vomit. Ishioto realized maybe he shouldn't be touching her, but he had to say something to calm her, "It's just my pinky. I don't really use it."

"A-an' Matsuo an-d Tets…" more vomit. This time the nurse spoke up, "The other two are fine. Yoshid…Matsuo-san can go home in the morning. And Tetsuya-san can leave in a few days."

This guy must have been new because hearing about Tetsuya made her feel worse. She had nothing more to vomit and the whole upsurge made her weak from clenching her muscles so tightly through the worst of it. She tried to brace herself on the mouth of the waste bin but it's metal edges dug into her arms. She wasn't sure if the acid she smelled was from below or her throat given how sore it was. Hair stuck to her cheek as her tears tried to dry, new ones falling only made them stick more.

The nurse took her arms into his hands and lifted her, both helping her back to her bed, passing Matsuo who was knocked out in the bed two down from her. Ishioto understood why Hayato made her look and knew she had to face this, "Ojou-sama, look at it."

She hugged her knees under the cover as the nurse tried to stop him, "Please, she just stopped."

"You stay out of this! Ojou-sama, Look!"

"Please, sir."

"LOOK AT IT!"

She looked hesitantly. She saw his three remaining fingers and thumb poking out from the bandages and a bulge over where his right pinky used to be. The memories flashed again and she remembered him stifling his own grunts of pain as he did it. It wasn't even a clean cut, there was a nub left. It should be smaller now that they stitched it up. "This is not your fault! I let this happen! This is how our world is!"

"Sir, she needs to rest. And you'll disrupt you stitches." He eventually led Ishioto out with some help from another nurse. Yuu hugged her knees until another nurse came in to put an IV in her arm. Afterwards, she was left to herself. "He's right."

Yuu sat up hopeful as she saw the whites of Matuo's eyes, "Our world's not pretty. But you stepped into it." Tears filled the wells of her eyes as he continued. "It's up to you if you run from it or press forward. Because nothing's going to change."

She took a hint and wiped her cheeks with the arm that didn't hurt from a tube moving around in it, wiped her eyes of new tears too since they didn't want to cooperate. Matsuo smiled, "Get some sleep, Ojou-sama. And Tetsuya will be fine. He'll get some stitches and be home soon 'nough to show off his scars. 'Bout time too."

A bird bathing in the pond in the back yard a few doors down woke Yuu up long enough to realize sunlight was trying to pierce the washi paper of the sh ōgi doors. Matsuo's shadow could be seen through the door. He insisted on guarding Yuu's room personally. In fact, his shadow was so visible, his head could be seen nodding. Yuu was about to offer her pillow when her rustling sheets startled him awake. It didn't matter much since he was out the next minute. So she went to get herself that glass of water herself.

Down the hall, in the same room the men were yelling at the television that night, she didn't find any glasses so she grabbed the only drink in there. She wished it was tea or juice, would have gone somewhere else if she knew where but she didn't want to disturb anyone else this early or make herself suspicious now that everyone was on guard. If they mistook her for another assailant in those dark hallways…she shuddered as she sipped the beer. It didn't help her dry throat at all. Just then, Matsuo came in somewhat panicked, then calmed down, then he was worried again, "Ojou-sama, are you okay with that?"

"Not really, but there wasn't anything else." He approached to take it and replace it with whatever he intended to replace it with, "It's fine. I wouldn't want to waste it now."

"Don't worry about that. Besides, this kind is not suited to Ojou-sama." She let him take it and lead her to the kitchen for some warm tea. It was quiet, but for some reason that unsettled her, "So Tetsuya-san is checking out today?"

"Mhm, is that why you can't sleep?" Being up this early, it made sense that he'd ask that, "I slept. I was just thirsty."

An embarrassing grumble came from her stomach, "You didn't eat much last night either." She felt defeated and ashamed, "But you haven't cried again so that's a start, I guess."

The bandages on her hand and shoulder weren't necessary anymore but she started to wear gloves because her finger still showed noticeable signs of damage. Ritsu's was starting to wake up earlier. Perhaps he was just as anxious as everyone else. He now slept two rooms down from Yuu, Hayato sleeping between them so he can hear everything, perhaps his way of being protective.

School was shorter than usual, or it at least felt that way. She took to wearing her hair in a clip to prevent attracting further attention, in case Ouran wasn't safe either. At lunch, she went to the library to access a computers for some research. School was hardly her focus today because after school, she'd have to do something potentially dangerous.

Before she left, she went to tell Ritsu where she was going but his club-mates told her he went to buy a shovel he broke. They assured him it wasn't necessary but he felt guilty. "Oh, could you tell him I went to run an errand?"

"Sure." Yuki nodded. Yuu noticed a yellow-leaf plant where Ritsu usually worked that seemed very foreign but appeared familiar. It held firm in the ground as the strong winds blew. She decided to ask him about it later and dashed off to the front gate, vying against taking the car as Saaji was one of the people she was surprising with the tickets.

She had arranged for them to be dropped off at a shop nearby for her to pick up but using her personal account to get them definitely tipped off Ienari's cronies in the area. So she donned her hoody, her jeans still torn since she met Ritsu, and her old sneakers. She looked like any common boy of lower-middle class, hopefully that would keep her safe. Her hood threatened to blow off in the zephyrs but she clenched tight to it.

Only a small ways from Ouran campus, she came to a sports shop where she paid the owner for holding the envelope with Wakamiya Yuu typed onto it. She double checked the number: eleven for Ishioto, Isamu, Katashi, Saaji, Matsuo, Tetsuya, Gendo, Yuuji, Katsu, Ryouta, Shitaro, and three for her, Ritsu, and Hayato so there would be little fuss over guarding them. They were even box seats, to which the shop owner admitted his jealousy.

On her way back, she was especially careful. Then a strong gust snatched the envelope from her as she was putting it in her pocket. It seemed cognitive as it kept waiting for her to come within reach before whisking away beyond her reach. At last she caught it and packed it in her bag when she saw a man in a suit. He wore Ienari's seal and was staring right at her while talking into his radio. Just then, Yuu realized she wasn't wearing her hood. He took one step and she ran.

She didn't dare look back in case it slowed her even in the slightest, but she heard his footsteps over her own. Then another sound scared her; she suddenly wasn't able to tell how many running footsteps she heard. The instant she looked back to check they had her. She cried out for them to let go but they held tight. She thrashed so much she never figured out how many there were, only that one of them was told to get the car. She couldn't go back. Not now. Not yet. Not before she figured something out. She was too close. Not yet.

Her arm broke from their grasp – getting in a sound punch with the momentum – but not the other. Once they had her again, she called out once more for help but it was muffled by a cloth. '_NO!_' a pungent, sweet smell filling her nose so she stopped breathing for as long as she could. She fought but she could feel her body going limp. Her sight was growing hazy, zigzagging in places, colors blurring with her movements: red, a grey, then more red. There were clanging sounds growing fainter. She was sure the number of hands holding her decreased but then she felt her feet come off the ground. More red, some clangs, then a dimness, but the dark didn't come. She was awake, maybe she didn't have enough time to inhale bromoform.

She felt the urge to cough but two hands came over her mouth, she felt her strength coming back so she pulled at them. They let her go after a while but she pushed against whichever one had her to run. The ground felt like it was still there which was strange since by now they would be in the car. Her legs were mostly numb so she fell but two arms wrapped around her to pull her up. She kicked and scratched until her hearing started working again, "Wakamiya-san! It's me!"

She tried to focus her eyes but all she saw was red. Still, she knew that voice. She was falling back down but the red man picked her up and carried her somewhere she felt less inclined to resist until the man set her down on a bench. "Wakamiya-san, you okay?"

"Who…"

"It's me, Kasanoda." That's what that red was; his hair. But he was standing right in front of her and she still only saw a blur, except now it was lessened. "I…what happened?"

"I was at the flower shop when I saw you run past. I didn't know it was you at first but I knocked those guys out with a shovel."

And _that_ would explain the clanging. Her vision was near to normal and her brain processing was almost fully functional, almost, "Where…park…"

"Do you feel dizzy?" Ritsu was trying to get as much information as he could. "My head…it's swimming."

He waited a while for her to become more cognizant, "Who were those guys?"

"They work for my fiancé." Yuu froze once she realized what she said. She didn't want to involve him. She hesitated to look at his face. It was between blank and shock. It was quiet for a while until she had the urge to cough. It snapped Ritsu out of whatever trance he was in, "Wakamiya-san, your nose!"

She touched above her lip, she was bleeding; a side effect from the chemical. She reached into her bag for a cloth which was surprisingly wide open. The envelope was gone, "Oh no. No. No. No, no, no, no. The envelope, the tickets!"

Ritsu reached into his uniform's inner pocket, "This? It was how I knew it was you those gu-…that your fiancé's men were chasing."

The last part seemed spoken with spite, "Um…" Ritsu stood, offering his hadkerchief, "Can you walk?"

"I can…" he turned to call his men to bring the car, "We should head back." RItsu didn't talk much after that.

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><p><em><strong>Kuro no Naka ni Aruku<strong>_ – kuro = black, naka ni = into, middle, inside, aruku = to walk: Walk into the Black.

_**Shikkari Shiro! **_– roughly, the imperative form of "pull yourself together". If you put a –te at the end instead of a –ro, it would be more of a request.

_**So-Honbucho**_ – HQ Chief

_**Yobitsume**_ – Ritual of cutting off one's finger as a form of apology or penance

_**Moushiwake arimasen deshita**_ – a very formal apology for something serious or when speaking to superiors. _**Deshita**_ implies that something serious has been done worth apologizing so gravely for.

**[**_**A/N**_**]** ***Check out a picture I did of Wakamiya Yuu and Kasanoda Ritsu at Xai16 on deviantArt if you haven't already (I got lazy and used a base and substitute Photoshop tools but it came out great for someone who has NO IDEA how to use Photoshop)***

As I've said before, I don't want to make her a Mary-Sue (pretty, perfect personality, popular with the guys). If I did, that was not my intention but I felt it was suitable in the over-the-top OHSHC universe. I do take into consideration, though, that I DEFINITELY didn't want her to be visually like every other OC I've seen but I can't just give her blue hair as it clashes with the OHSHC formula. I wanted the hair to be unusual by Japanese standards but it had to be all natural. The over glorifying of her eye color was just a cheesy and I promise to tone it down. Never intended to make her a walking attraction. I do like how she can still take action when necessary.

I wish I could make her personality more compelling but her circumstance is part of the focus here. Whereas the in my gargoyle fanfic, the OC overcoming her warped personality is the drive of the plot and the canon character, Brooklyn, is overshadowed and becomes a support character, the focus of this story is the potentially deadly circumstances of the two main characters and how they clash all at once. In '_**Impress Me**_' that formula works because the OC has so much inner turmoil that any serious issues on Brooklyn's behalf would over complicate things and probably further scar the OC. In '_**Canary**_', the characters don't have a vast amount of depth so the simplicity of their personalities gives room for external conflict. Balance two equally severe circumstances to a combined climax and you get a decent story. Just a tip to get you all going on your own fanfic.

On a side note, it really doesn't take terribly long to type out my chapters even if I have all the info but as you saw before in my last chapter, I'm a full-time student with a part-time job. To any hesitating in taking Japanese, stop it; it's an easy language (just practice the writing by taking your favorite anime songs and translate them). When I have time, I'll go back and correct a few grammatical errors in my previous chapters so you guys can have a taste of REAL Japanese language. I'll try to get more chapters out over this break (will try to finish it but I make no promises). Well, until my next chapter, thank you ZO MUCH for sticking with me this long. Your love is greatly appreciated.


	8. Ch 8 Bijou to Yajū

**Canary**

**FanFiction**

**Disclaimer**: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 8<strong>__ – __**Bijou to Yaj**__**ū**_

Cries went out as in the stadium, echoing off the walls making the ambient noise louder. Spectators barking orders for blood and screaming obscenities with them. The men in Box 14 were likely the loudest but that may have been due to the level proximity. Only two were relatively silent in that whole stadium, and who but the keenest of eyes would notice?

It was the title fight and seven train stops away but the usual eleven Syndicate members wouldn't miss it if they could help it. Thanks to the strings their Ojō-sama pulled and the Kumicho giving them leave, calling in lower factions to guard the Syndicate House, they could be there. Even the Kumicho joined in on the festivities but Ritsu remained quiet and distant while Yuu felt out of place and awkward about Ritsu's silent-treatment. The tension between them a week ago had not lessened. Matsuo noticed her silence and shoved Katashi from his seat in front of her, starting a bit of a skirmish but in moments, Katashi gave up and took Matsuo's seat, "You're pretty dull back there, Ojō-sama. Liven'up, you're the one who set up this whole thing."

Yuu came back from her thoughts, "I'm sorry, Matsuo-san, I couldn't hear that." It _was_ deafeningly loud in there so he spoke up, "I said Liven'up! You…aagh!"

She observed the tedium about her and tried to seem more interested, "So how does…this…work?" Matsuo snickered then turned to the ring of fighters pummeling each other, "Boxing is a game of strength, speed, endurance, and reflexes. One guy is trying to knock out the other guy by throwing fast, hard punches and lasting longer than his opponent. You see that guy in the brown shorts?"

Yuu looked over the rest of the heads and waving fists in the box to see a man well-toned in the upper body fighting another muscular man in a greyish green shorts. She nodded to Matsuo, "He's Ishida Ranma a rookie boxer. The other guy is Ryol Li Lee, better known as Returi Lee. He's only lost 4 out of 23 fights and drawn 2. They both take two completely different stances but they're both exactly the same."

"Then it seems pointless in fighting one another?" Matsuo let out a belch of a laugh, "Doesn't it?! Whew, now Ishida has this thing where he likes to feint a few times before he lands a hit. He switches up how many feints he uses and where he'll hit."

"That sound…weird." She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion while he slapped his knee, "You'd think so but here's the secret; when you feint, you draw your opponent's defenses towards where you're hitting, leaving a solid opening for your other fist. But Retsuri's smarter than that. He likes to get his opponents used to his pattern. In a fight, you never want to get into a pattern. The other guy can read you like a book and strike as soon as you've thrown your punch but if you use that against someone…"

The green boxer kept throwing the same punches, luring the brown boxer in for a right hook when the green dodged, threw a feint to the brown's chin then the real punch his gut. The crowd roared as the brown stumbled just before the bell rang, "YOU SEE THAT?!"

Matsuo was having a blast and for a second, Yuu was able to forget her thoughts, "He used his own trick against him."

"Sure did! Isamu! Pay up, you rat bastard! Ha hah!"

After the fight, there was still a lot of time in the day. The guys wanted burgers to celebrate after a good fight despite their guy not winning. Hayato was getting irritable in this totally lax atmosphere where his men forget themselves and become too familiar so he straightened them out with a glare. Tetsuya was having trouble moving around as much as the guys but none of them noticed. Ritsu helped Tetsuya to a seat to rest, "Wakaa, I'm fine really. Just tired."

"You're not ok. You should have waited longer before traveling this much." Tetsuya sighed in relief as he finally sat down, "But then I would have wasted Wakamiya-san's ticket."

Ritsu flinched at the mention of her and Tetsuya noticed, "Why don't you go sit with her? She looks like she's being overwhelmed by the guys."

Ritsu thought about her sitting with his father instead but she's a touch tense around him so he reconsidered Tetsuya but he was already there so it would stand out to switch like that, "It's not like I'll make things any more comfortable. She's scared of me."

"Really? I didn't think so. I haven't seen her flinch at you in weeks." He had to admit that was true. Just as he did, he saw Yuu approaching their table, "May I sit here? The guys are a little exhausting."

Ritsu froze and looked at Tetsuya who only looked back at him, "Y-yeah. Go ahead." Yuu plopped down, a little less lady-like than her usual self. '_The boys must have really been tiring._' thought Tetsuya.

"Tetsuya-kun! Come help me with this a moment." Tetsuya's eye sharpened, "Yes, Kumicho-sama." leaving Ritsu alone with Yuu.

Hayato whispered low, "How's it coming between those two?"

"Still rocky but we're working on it."

"The boy's did a good job of chasing her away. I didn't think they could be _this_ rowdy."

"This is just when they're sober."

"Has she noticed yet?"

"I think she's picked up a few cues but I don't think she really sees it yet. It seems like something happened between them. Wakaa isolates himself from her often, apparently."

"Well, they better get over it fast before she runs out on him."

Ritsu and Yuu were sitting quietly until she couldn't stand it a minute longer, "You want to get out of here?

She was being strangely forward and very casual, "Y- what'd'ya have in mind?" Yuu stretched out her arm across the table and lay her head on it in pause. It was like a totally different person was sitting here. She tilted her head then answered, "Maybe the arcade? That looks like one across the street and your boys won't have to worry too much about security."

Ritsu didn't take her for that kind of girl, "A-are you o…" She didn't wait for him to finish and grabbed his wrist to go but stood there waiting for him, "You coming or what?"

Ritsu had seen one American girl years ago in a fast food restaurant. She had to be the loudest, most impolite and informal, and totally indifferent person he'd ever seen. Or at least that's what he remembered thinking. Was Yuu really born and raise Japanese?

Of course, some of the guys followed generally out of site to their best extent for safety reasons. Yuu was right, though; they didn't stick out like a sore thumb in here. Heck, they even played a few games themselves. Yuu seemed out of place because she took careful thought about which game she wanted to play first. The classic feel of graphics from a SEGA Genesis seemed to pique her interest more as she gave more attention to them. So her first was After Burner, a sample completely polar of what a girl would normally play. Her button action was horrible at first but she got gradually better. Ritsu stood confused while watching her work an old-style joy stick and mash red and white thumb-sized buttons.

Apparently she got bored when she crashed and when she turned around, she saw him standing there looking at her strange. She scanned the place for a second then took his hand and pulled him over to Virtual Fighter, "Play me."

That's all she said but was it really enough to get him to let down the tenseness? The guys watched her from a distance. They were happy she was getting so familiar around him but were confused as to what she was doing. There were noises from the game while Ritsu was staring at her, "You better focus on this game or I'll beat you. I'd think it'd be pretty sad if a Syndicate lord got beat by a girl in an arcade game."

Ritsu snapped attention to the game. She was right. She was winning by a good margin so he mashed buttons best he could to catch up but it was pointless. She won and it didn't seem to please her one bit as there was no show of arrogance about her. Suddenly, Ritsu had a moment about him that was equally out of character, "Best two out of three?"

She looked at him puzzled for a second then an evil grin crossed her face. That wasn't about to intimidate him so he mocked her with one of his own. From that moment on, any game they played was full on competitive, they were both going for the higher score, who could last longer, and Ritsu won most of them. He wanted to be smug about it, not caring if she sulked as they left to walk down the street. Her arms folded and her cheeks puffed, it was kind of cute to him and he couldn't help teasing her, "You're a surprisingly sore loser."

"And you're a surprisingly huge dick." Ritsu was used to that kind of talk and heard himself called it by many a rival syndicate but hearing that sort of language from this proper little lady caught him off guard so he changed subject, "So what was up back there?"

"Nani?"

"I mean, do you even go to arcades?" Yuu dropped her pout to go blank faced, "Not really. In fact, I never get to go out on my own a lot."

Remembering herself, she put her hood over her head, not realizing she had it off for hours. Ritsu saw and remembered that she's hiding from her fiancé and scanned the area just to be sure, "They wouldn't be all the way out here in Yokoami."

"I know, just trying not to stand out." Ritsu snickered, "I'm a tall scary guy with blazing red hair. We're being followed by the meanest looking crew that look like they'll scrap at the drop of a knife, and you're worried about standing out?"

Yuu giggled slightly, "Point taken." Ritsu scratched the back of his neck, "So what else to you want to do? We could go by the mall or crash a movie or…"

"Hang gliding into a roller coaster?" Ritsu stopped in his tracks but she kept going, tilting her head looking back to give an 'I-didn't-do-nothin' expression. Ritsu decided to play along, "So I guess riding giant paper clips down a snowy mountain side is off the list."

They both couldn't hold in the laughter. They had to stop, they sounded ridiculous. She held her stomach and he braced his knees, only moving their hands from position to wipe their tears. The conversation died a little but the atmosphere stayed pretty chill as they strolled. They didn't really have a destination and that was perfectly fine. Ritsu didn't want to ruin the moment but he really wanted to know and this seemed as good a time as any, "So…why did you come to us?"

"To confess…I don't really know? That night I couldn't sleep. I knew I'd be in trouble if I left again but…I just…felt like running. I didn't think, my body just moved. Somehow, I ended up in your neighborhood and got it in my head to go to your house. Again, I wasn't thinking. You scared me near to death though."

"I-…sorry 'bout that." Yuu shook her head, "I guess your place seemed like the only place that was untouchable. It was a self-assuring thought." The chillness of the atmosphere lessened but it didn't go away completely. Then she sighed and spoke again, "So what do you like to do with friends? The guys back there look like they could use some excitement."

Really, only one game came to mind and he was a little embarrassed that. It was all he usually fell back on when picking a group activity, "Kankari?"

Yuu gave him a confused look and he instantly regretted saying anything. But the more she thought about it, the more funny it sounded and the more fun she thought it would be, "Interesting choice. Okay, there should be a park near here. Hey Guys! Come play Kankari with us!"

Ritsu blushed since people were staring in their direction now, '_JUST like an American_.' Yuu didn't seem to care, instead she shoved his arm and ran, looking back at him, "Either a race or tag! Either way, you'll never catch me!"

Ritsu smiled casually then pulled out that competitive side he never knew he had until today to chase her. Yuu looked back to see him starting to run just as she rounded a corner and hit something hard and fell forward, "Ah!"

Finding the ground under one of her hands and something round and soft under the other, she lifted herself up to find she ran into someone. She quickly moved her hand when she noticed that she was unwittingly using his arm as a prop, "Sumimasen deshita! Daijoubu desu ka?!"

Yuu stood quickly and offered her hand to help him up but he smacked it away, "Teme! Keep your scrawny hand, bozu!"

"Where do you get around running into people like that?"

"Someone could get hurt."

"Look, I broke something. How do you plan on compensating for it?" It was then that she realized he wasn't alone, he had at least three other guys with him. Make that five counting the two running toward them. Not going to lie to herself; she was intimidated by the numbers and the type of crowd they appeared to be but she wasn't raised to buckle under pressure and took a defensive stance, "Look, I said I'm sorry so walk it off."

"Looks like this boy doesn't get the situation he's in." The man she ran into used the arm he just said was broken and threw a full punch to her left cheek. She felt dizzy trying to stand or even sit up. Then the one who punched her stooped down over her to grab the shoulder of her hoody with that 'bad arm' and pull her to him, "Now you see what we have to resort t-…holy shit. Hey guys, check this out. It's a babe."

Yuu's hood was barely gripping her head exposing her hair just enough. He snatched off the rest of her hoody to gawk just as Ritsu rounded the corner. He stood stunned for a second then saw Yuu on her side, with blood coming out of her mouth and a man over her with her hoody in his grip. His second thought never came, only a swing of his foot into the man's face to get him off of her. They guy nearly came off the ground with that one, "Wakamiya-san! Daijoubu desu ka?! Shikari shiro!"

The wave of vertigo hadn't left. The guy jugged her pretty hard, but she managed a nod. Ritsu had never been one for violence but a wave of something was coming over him. He didn't care about their cheesy, faulty logic of justification, or how badly they outnumbered him, or that one of them was the first to recognize his description – red hair and scary mug – he just started throwing punches. Needless to say, that didn't go over too well. He got in a few really good hits before was completely overwhelmed by their quantitative advantage. They had him in a full Nelson and the rest was fists, knees, and kicks to his gut and face. They didn't get that many licks in before the guys got there, "WAKAA!"

"IT'S THOSE DAMN MIOJI'S!"

"BASTARDS!"

"GET 'EM!"

"CALL THE BOYS! PROTECT WAKAA AND OJŌ-SAMA!"

In no time at all, Ritsu was dropped and Yuu was at his side, having regained enough of her bearings to move around. Ryouto helped both of them up but mostly Ritsu as he was hurting quite a bit, "Wakaa! Take Ojō-sama and run!"

Ritsu could register his words but only Yuu had the present physical ability to carry it out. She took him by the arm arm and pulled him up then pulled him away, gradually running fast as Ritsu seized his orientations. At first Yuu led then he grabbed the top of her hand and pulled her the rest of the way. He didn't know which way to go, only that they couldn't stop. When they heard a screech of wheels behind them, Ritsu took a skinny alleyway and a few turns in between so as to avoid running into that car on the next street over. Not long after, he heard a few extra sets of feet behind them. He was already pulling her faster than her legs could go making her pray she'd not trip them up. It didn't matter though. When they came out of the alley, it led into a forested park behind an engineering garage. Yuu didn't realize her clip had come out and some of her hair was escaping her hoody. One of the Mioji's snatched hold of it and yanked her back, her hand whipping from Ritsu's grasp as she fell. Ritsu spun around fast to throw a punch to make him let go. He missed the first but hit the second. He pulled Yuu up fast and shoved her past him, "RUN!"

She did. Ran off looking back a few times before disappearing into the trees. The men circled him, "Boy, when Red called us to say the Kasanoda brat was in town, you could imagine our excitement. But just picture how happy the boss will be if we bring him back one of your arms."

"He's skinnier than I pictured him. Won't put up much of a fight." They laughed. Ritsu did his best to keep an eye on all of them, in his inexperienced ready stance waiting for an attack, '_Five? No. Four. One has a knife. They've cut me off from the trees. Likely more will come from the alley. Get it together, Ritsu. This is life or death. Fight your way out. Hope she's safe._'

The first rushed him from behind so he swung his elbow into their jaw and punched at the rest coming in from the front. He was fine the first few minutes but one good kick to the gut and he was down. Just as they were about to throw another kick, Ritsu heard a short clang. More like a '_bink_'. Then a few more. That kick he was expecting to smash his face in never came. When he moved his hair out the way – some of it sticking to the blood from his nose – he saw Yuu hitting them with a metal rod. Probably from the garage's back yard. There was a variety of metal things there ranging from small rods like the one Yuu had to structural beams. A man came at her swinging in a rhythm making Yuu remember what Matsuo said. She kept dodging and hit him clear in the face right after his third punch. The next one didn't have such coordination so she took him out easy. The third grabbed her from behind in a sleeper hold. The flow of circulation to her brain was being cut off making her head buzz and breathing was difficult. Ritsu came behind him and cracked a good kick to his lower back making him let go. Yuu gasped for air and followed up with a swing of the rod to his left ear. He was the last one so she dropped the rod and took Ritsu's hand rather sloppily to be pulled away into the trees.

A sure distance away, they stopped to catch their breath, "What Was that back there?! How did it blow up so quickly?! And who are the Mioji's?!" Ritsu tried to compose himself, "Don't worry about it."

"_Don't worry about it_' he says. Several days ago, you had a grenade go off IN YOUR ROOM! And before that, you were about to be a 2D splatter to add color to the pavement. I suppose an intentional hit-and-run is just cause not to worry too, hm?!"

"I SAID DON'T WORRY 'BOUT IT! IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Ritsu was Not in the right mind to handle this and it scared Yuu into flinching, "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell like that. I just…don't want to get you involved."

Yuu stood there loosely then pulled out a blue bandana from her cargo pants and approached him. She lifted her arm to his head but he caught her arm. She snatched it and went for the cut over his eye. Her face showed she was pissed but then it softened, "My father's company is going under from stocks covertly corrupted by my fiancé. In exchange for a merger, Hiroshi Ienari wanted me. I'm taking refuge at your compound waiting for certain business dealings to go through so I can reverse all this before he can do something about it."

Ritsu was quiet so she continued, "I've shared my story. And I'm not afraid to get involved in yours."

Ritsu caught a knot in his mouth then let out a sigh, "Fine. But I better call the boys first. They'll be looking for us."

* * *

><p><strong>(AN)** Ok so here's the thing. I have NO EARTHLY IDEA what's going on with Yuu. I did not plan any of this, she's acting of her own accord. I had a plot set out but she doesn't want to follow it until she decided she wanted to run. I don't know where her formalities went or why she decided now to drop them….but I LOVE it. I thought she was too bland and sweet and perfect. Now she just sounds like a guy with a beer gut that just got home, threw the suit off, sat down sloppily on the couch, and turned the TV on while sipping a beer, not bothering to care if this is what people saw when he'd answer the door. She thought up the arcade, not me. I just went with it and by god did it work. But then I had to go to my PS2 to play my arcade games from the 90s (like Pacman and Digdug to be authentic. Yes, I have one of those) and throw in a few games I've seen around. Maybe something snapped in her. Maybe she's tired on Ritsu giving her the cold shoulder and changing it up? Maybe she just doesn't give a fuck anymore? I Don't KNOW. Make up your own ideas because anyone's guess is as good as mine. I called this chapter '_Beauty and the Beast_' but BOY did she put her own spin on it.

Hope you enjoyed and sorry for the wait. I'm actually supposed to be doing a take-home test for Precalc II right now and WAY too much else but I was just dying to get this posted. Well, until next time.

Here's the translations:

_**Bijou to yajū**_ – Beauty & the Beast

_**Kumicho**_ – family head

_**Ojō-sama**_ – Young Lady, Miss, Ma'am [formal]

_**Wakka**_ – Young Lord

_**Nani**_ – What

_**Sumimasen deshita**_ – an apology when not speaking to superiors but still polite. _Deshita_ makes the apology for something done.

_**Daijoubu desu ka**_ – Are you alright/hurt?

_**Teme**_ – You [very rude], used when you're looking for trouble.

_**Bozu**_ – Kid [informal, rude]; similar to "Hey squirt"

_**Shikari shiro**_ – the imperative form of "pull yourself together".

***Check out a picture I did of Wakamiya Yuu and Kasanoda Ritsu at Xai16 on deviantArt if you haven't already (I got lazy and used a base and substitute Photoshop tools but it came out great for someone who has NO IDEA how to use Photoshop)***

The link is below: copy and paste, delete the space, and don't forget the dot-com. And Enjoy.

xai16. deviantart

/art/Kasanoda-Ritsu-X-Wakamiya-Yuu-312704544


	9. Ch 9 Shinda Kusa

**Canary**

**FanFiction**

**Disclaimer**: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 9<strong>__ – Shinda Kusa_

Grains choose when they will stick to the fibers of gloves and when they will rejoin its vast kinfolk below one's foot. But when the blade of a shovel parts them, draws a rift between them, there exists change totally out of their control. Much like the soil, life will tear you from what you know, torrents of strife will blow you from comfort and in between two hard places, the feet of those above you will stomp you down, forcing you under their weight until they feel like moving. However, rains will come to wash away troubles and underneath it, something will grow. It is but one reprieve for the many hardships yet it the acceptance of such knowledge that will decide whether one breaks or becomes something greater.

Grains of dark soil were in fact sticking to the fibers of his gloves as he pulled the plant out of its pot to give it fresher water. The gardening club was a place where his mind could go blank and for a few hours, nothing else mattered. Few bothered him and when they did, it was short. It's not that they feared him or were put out by him. He'd been there long enough for them to understand he was in his zone – it was just him and the vegetation – which is the likely reason why he didn't hear his name, "-oda-kun? Kasanoda-kun?"

It wasn't until he saw a hand waving in front of his face that he jumped back and saw Yuu, "Hey, you ok?"

"Y-yeah. Just…yeah." His pot was next to the open door so he was crouched in the shadow she made over him. The umbra over her face was accenting the green in her irises and the afternoon sunlight was setting her bleach blonde locks on fire. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing really. Just…" Ritsu motion to the plant, looking down to conceal his blush. "Isn't that a Christmas plant?"

Ritsu nodded, "Yeah." Yuu leaned forward to see it better but when she realized her being in the sunlight whether it is or not was messing with her view, she moved to the shade on the opposite of him, "It's yellow."

A lock fell from her shoulder and landed on a petal. He noticed how it was the same hue just about. "I got the wrong seeds."

"But why a poinsettia?" She brushed her hair behind her ear. "I wanted a plant that would take a while to grow and I got it on sale from a flower in January. This was the first thing I started on when I joined the gardening club. It bloomed faster than expected." She looked up to him then back at the vegetable, "Well…it's really pretty. You did a good job on it. But Christmas is a ways off. What are you going to do with it?"

"Dunno. Probably take it home to decorate the yard a little. Though it might be out of place." Yuu nodded, "Very. But maybe inside, like a bedroom, or the kitchen."

"I don't know how the guys will feel…"

"Don't worry about them. They've shown support for your interests this far in. I doubt they'll have anything negative to say." Ritsu nodded. He could feel the awkward air despite Yuu's efforts to lessen it. First he learned she was engaged, then there was the boxing match where he tried to keep his distance, then the arcade where she got weird on him and forced him to relax around her, then the Mioji's. It hadn't really been a full 48 hours since they were attacked and now he knows a little about why she strong armed _HIS_ dad into letting her stay at his house.

"Can we go somewhere to talk?" She could sort of feel what was running though his mind at the moment, or at least the part about what she said the day before last, "Or will your father allow it? The guys can come too if they must. I don't mind."

Somehow they convinced Saaji and Shitaro to make one pit stop before heading home. Ritsu was curious as to where she had in mind but then the area started looking a little familiar, though only slightly as the last time he was here, he was walking. The pagoda trees he knew from his time studying plants in the gardening club. He remembered the wind playing a very emotive song, drawing him in. at the end of the pagoda tree street, there was a sight to truly recall. The willow trees over the water, swaying in their waltz, a fairy in a cerulean furisodo marked by bird-of-paradise flowers, her hair appearing cinnamon in the light as it shown through the tree and reflected on the water making ripple inflections on her. Her tsuchibue initially manipulated to melancholy before being thrown into the algae floating on the pond's surface.

She didn't seem in a rush. His dad would be pissed. He followed her to the tree where she just slumped against it watching the lake. He eventually joined her. It was calming – the soft wind, the reflecting ripples, the wines of the willow swaying – everything moving slow and steady, in no rush. "You were here that day. Why?"

That sense of patience and tranquility seemed contagious. He wasn't flustering for an answer and in no rush to say it. He responded half a minute after she asked it, "I don't know. I can't remember what I was thinking about. Just kept walking. Probably took a wrong turn. Followed my ears."

"You saw that, didn't you?" Ritsu looked at her confused but she continued, "My mother's not all that bad. She was…stressed out. I was stressed out. She just doesn't know how to cope." Ritsu realized she was talking about how her mom tossed her tsuchibue in the pond and yanked her away.

"Then again, that wasn't the proper time to relieve stress either, I guess. I just wanted so badly to be somewhere else. My Opa wa…oh…that's what I called my grandfather. Opa was from old Dutch blood. He gave me my tsuchibue, said it holds the winds that travel the world. He loved traveling, hardly the business type. He left that to Obaa-san and she entrusted it to my father. It would be my inheritance, if I can fix what Ienari did to it."

Ritsu looked her in the eye, anticipating the true topic. She looked back and sighed, "We were forced into merger with another company but the catch was that I marry the head of that group, a guy named Hiroshi Ienari, in exchange for buying the company from my father and letting him maintain 80% ownership. He was too cocky about it and acted like he owned everything before it was even final. It was a little too fast and too convenient so I investigated. Found that Ienari covertly corrupted our stocks along with a few other things. I still can't understand how my father didn't notice all this while it was happening. It was raising very noticeable flags. Now it's a nightmare to fix."

"So what are you going to do?" Ritsu turned back to the water. Yuu pulled in her knees to hug them, "I don't know yet. I need those papers to get through before I can act but they're taking a while. Meanwhile, who knows what Ienari is doing to the company."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"NO! You've done more than enough and I can't ask for your help after how I forced myself onto your home."

"It's fine. The guys don't seem to get much excitement around the house and they like having you there."

"But your dad doesn't." Ritsu tensed then rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah…"

Yuu loosened her hold on her shins and let then slide the dirt a little, "So…what's been happening lately?"

"Well…" Ristu looked uncomfortable, like it wasn't his place to share this info, "There's this…uh… other family…"

"The Mioji's? I heard the guys screaming it." Ritsu looked down to the dirt, "Yeah…we're at war with'em. They want control over the Kanto region, our domain. The other branches of the family in Kanto have it worse. They're going to battle in the streets. The bodies are piling up. My cousin got hit last week. She's still recovering."

"Wow…and here I thought I had it worse. Will she be okay?" Ritsu was fighting tears but his lip was quivering, "She might not walk again, and it's because of me. They want me to shake down my dad and they're all fighting to keep me safe."

"Yuu restrained her arms from embracing him suddenly but managed to hug his right arm and lay her head on his shoulder, her right hand sliding down to grip his. Ritsu shuddered for a moment but then took her hand tight into his.

There is a disturbance at the front gate. They stood to gunfire and Shitaro running at them to get them to move, "Wakaa! Oj ō-sama! Get to th' car!"

Ritsu took Yuu's hand and yanked her up when he jolted to his feet. They raced to the car, Yuu stumbling behind as his legs were longer. Ritsu pulled her down and looked towards Saaji who was ducked behind the passenger side checking for the assailants, "Is it the Mioji's?"

"No! It's those men Oj ō-sama warned us about." Yuu shot down lower, "They're here?! But…how…who…"

Yuu looked back towards the temple to see the priest telling his attendant to go do something while hiding behind the doors, likely call the police as this had gotten out of hand. "Oh god, I'm so STUPID! I can't BELIEVE I thought this place was safe! We need to go! The priest ratted me out and he might be calling the cops."

Yuu noted how much she sounded like one of the guys, likely a side-effect from being around them. Shitaro had joined Saaji behind the passenger tire, "That's nice an'all but it don't mean shit if I can't get to th' driver's seat!"

"Try this!" Saaji handed Shitaro a grenade of sorts. "Wakaa, Oj ō-sama, when I say, jump in the car, get down, and cover your faces."

Ritsu looked at the can then at him in anxious confusion. Shitaro didn't wait for a nod and threw the can towards the men. Saaji shot the can and a green gas burst out upon the suited men, "NOW!"

Ritsu opened the car door and pushed Yuu inside first. She moved as fast as she could without tripping and Ritsu jumped in behind her. She got down and covered her face and he got over top of her not bothering to cover his own to put his hands over hers, just shutting his eyes tightly. Shitaro slide over the hood and got in the driver's seat with Saaji leaping in on the other side. The instant the engine hummed, they screeched off. Saaji twisted around towards the back seat, "Clear! How are your eyes, can you breathe?"

"We're fine." Ritsu concurred. Yuu sat up and took a deep breath, scared enough that she didn't notice she was holding it, "What was that?"

"Tear gas." called Shitaro, "No one is to say a word about this to the boss." Saaji turned back around, "What are you talking about?"

"You like Oj ō-sama being with us right?! If the boss finds out something like this happened, he'll deem her too dangerous to keep around. We've handled worse than this but given all that's happened recently, he won't see it that way. So keep yer mouth shut!"

Saaji sat back in his seat quietly as Shitaro continued, "Oj ō-sama, I don'know what yuh got yer'self into but all th' boys – we're with yuh. Yer family now."

Yuu blushed, knowing what he really meant. It's not like she hadn't thought of him that way. She just didn't want to involve Ritsu but at this point, it probably wouldn't matter…at least that what she wished.

"Okay…You're a life-saver, Ran…Yeah yeah, and a monument half the size of your ego…but that's…" Ritsu was approaching Yuu who was waiting near the car. He waited quietly as she was on the phone, "Oh, Kasanoda-kun. Ran can I call you back? Oh…but…that's too risky…why, he's totally trust-…I know b-…Ra~n…why? He isn't, well I mean he is but he isn't…b-…" he watched in confusion as she sighed, "Well I can't make that call…how do I know you'll behave…tell that to someone who doesn't know you…uhg…Kasanoda-kun, I am so sorry, my friend wants to talk to you. Don't let her bully you. Ran, play nice."

Ritsu took the phone from Yuu, "uh, moshi moshi." The other voice had significant volume and girth and didn't sound like a composed person, "You, you're Kasanoda Ritsu, right?"

"Uh, yeah…" he also noted how rudely and easily she referred to him as '_you_', "We're meeting up before you go home for the night."

"Actually, that's not my call. My dad-…" the girl on the other end cut him off, "You're the next heir to the family? That is how you Japanese work things right? Well, then when your dad retires, you'll be in charge so start taking some initiative now."

"But that's not what I-…" again he was cut off, "Now put Yuu-pii back on." Ritsu held the phone and stared at it in disbelief that someone could be so…pushy. He looked at Yuu who seemed irritated as she took the phone, "What did I tell you?...No, I…wait, NOW?!...but we…no, we…well that's too bad…please don't do this…where and when?…don't love you so much now…well I suddenly feel like being fickle…yeah…it needs to be quick…fine…Do you think your father will mind if we drop by the school for a second?"

"Maybe not if we're quick." Ritsu could still see the suspicious glare of his dad when they came back from the temple the other day. Yuu remembered it too, "That's what I'm hoping too."

Today, it was Ryouta, Gendo, and Ishioto himself, likely there on orders. He _would_ share something like what happened the other day to the boss. Ritsu got in the car and stopped Ishioto from taking off towards home, "Um, Ishioto-san…could we stop by Lobelia Academy?"

"Wait…" Yuu turned towards Ritsu, "Why Lobelia?" Ritsu was confused, "Didn't you say in class that you went to Lobelia?"

Yuu looked confused then started laughing, "Kasanoda-kun, how old do you think I am?" he still seemed puzzled so she continued, "I graduated from Lobelia a year and a half ago. I'm almost twenty. I'm a ninensei at Keio Daigaku."

Ritsu looks closely at her but she still looks about his age. He was the one to arrange for her to be at Ouran, a high school, but he never thought to ask her how old she was. They noticed how Ishioto was still looking back at them, unamused. Ritsu only managed a nod towards him. Ishioto looked at him then her who nodded as well but more confidently. He turned back around as if his body was the one rolling its eyes.

Entering the school, they did draw some attention. Yuunami was familiar enough having often turned heads around campus at random but still just as stunning. Ritsu certainly stood out but college students weren't as fixated on looks as high school students. The ones standing out the most were their bodyguards who looked less than savory to the rest of society. They appeared like bodyguards as they were all older and looking around and kept close to two much younger people who in comparison looked forward only – well one was looking around in marvel, this being his first time on a college campus – however they walked like common street thugs, the one in the middle more straightened but still as threatening. People kept walking to their destinations but it was difficult not to stare.

When they came to the café and sitting area, Ran was easy to spot waving from her table. Gendo and Ryouta took up stations around the room looking for anything suspicious while Ishioto took up post near the table. Ran stood to greet them, "It took you long enough. I got hungry and had to eat without you. And what's up with the stiffs?"

"Hi, Ran. I've missed you too." Ran glared then smiled and snatched her friend in for a hug. Ritsu started to notice that this girl had an accent. She looked Ritsu up and down, noting he was wearing a Keio hoody, "So this is him?"

"Oh, Ran, Kasanoda Ritsu. Kasanoda-kun, Pérez Veronica. She prefers Ran. She's been my pen pal from the Bahamas since middle school and my best friend since college."

Ritsu thought to comment her to break the ice since she was looking at him like a pitbull does an intruder, "You speak very good Japanese."

"It's not that hard. Japanese is the closest in pronunciation to Spanish." Yuu explained, "Ran's parents are Cuban so her main language is Spanish. She came to Japan to learn business."

"And pester you. Don't forget such important information. Never mind that. Why is he in our merchandise?"

"He's from Ouran so I thought he's stand out less." Ran looked him up and down, "He's from Ouran?"

"Ran, don't be rude. What was it you wanted to talk about?" Ran must have learned her business face from Yuu as she can turn it on just as fast, "It's your dad. I don't have any evidence but – and don't get mad at me – but I think your dad is involved."

"Involved in what?" Yuu sat down as Ran pulled the papers out of her bag, "Look at these. Ienari didn't just corrupt your stocks and buy off the higher ups. This is what your dad's been manufacturing under the table." Yuu looked over the papers, "Oh my god."

"You may not be the only trophy Ienari's after. It looks like some of those numbers went sour. You're not just collateral for your dad, you're black mail and possibly a target if it gets that bad. But that's not the worst of it. Check this out." Ran gave her a USB, "That holds information that will give you a few hints on what Ienari's going to use that merchandise for. It's enough to convict your father but not your fiancé, and it may put you at further risk. I'll let you look that over before you decided what to do but I couldn't just send it through the mail. You should know the password. It's our code."

Yuu stared at the tiny rectangular metal in her hand, "Thank you, Ran."

"Well that's all the information I got so if you want to do something with it, we should meet again. You two better get going before the weasel's stiffs show up. Hey, you, Kasanova or whatever. If anything happens to her…if you so much as lay a hand on her…" Ritsu stopped her right and got down on knees in a crude bowing fashion, "No one will harm Wakamiya-san. I will cut them down."

Ritsu couldn't believe what he was saying or that he meant every word, neither could Ishioto who got down with him, "Pérez-san, you have the word of the Kasanoda Syndicate that Oj ō-sama will be protected like family."

Ran's eyebrows went into her head line, "Quite the loyal following you got there. I wish I was so lucky."

"They've been so kind to me and they're no pushovers. You don't have to worry as long as I'm in their hands. Ran, take care of yourself. Stop eating junk all the time."

"Don't lecture me on health. What you've got yourself into is far more detrimental. Now get out of here before my radiance overwhelms you."

It was a quiet ride home. Yuu felt flattered but a little awkward that Ritsu said such a thing. She pegged him to be more the gentle type, but then so did his men and all three of them heard that. She knew it would be awkward for him but she took a chance and leaned on his shoulder. Ritsu tensed up from shock but didn't dare move or protest. A manhole that was too exposed off the pavement shook the car enough for Yuu to fall from Ritsu's shoulder to his lap. He looked down in disbelief, she fell asleep! Where Ran seemed to learn her business face from Yuu, she must have learned her lack of shame. He tensed up but then realized his tensed leg might be too hard for her pillow so he tried his best to loosen up. No matter what he did, she didn't stir. '_She must have been real tired. Maybe whatever's going on with her dad drained her. It sounded like she may actually have it worse than me._'

The car came to a slow stop. Ritsu regretted it but had no choice, "Wakamiya-san, we're here."

Yuu nuzzled his leg, then saw his lap close to her face and shot up wide awake. She felt drool hanging from the side of her mouth and wiped it. She was so embarrassed but before her brain could catch up to apologize, she looked out the window to see where she was then saw the boys lined up at the gate waiting to greet them and Ritsu's dad at the end. But he didn't have the upset glare both of them expected. In fact, all of them were blushing having seen only Yuu shoot up from Ritsu's lap and wipe her mouth through the window. They stared at that look bewildered but then realized they'd have to get out and face Kasanoda Hayato. Hayato regains his composure and signals Ritus to follow him first and left Matsuo to take Yuu to her room until she was summoned. They get to Hayato's room and Ritsu sat down on the pillow before where his father sat. "Stand up, boy. No one told you to sit."

Ritsu shot back up and stood at attention. "I was under the impression that my rules since the Mioji's first came at you with a car…were clear. Was I mistaken?"

"O-otou-san, I..."

"You speak when I tell you to. As the Head of a Syndicate, I'd have you do push-ups over flames with cement blocks on your back." Ritsu flinched, not daring to look his father in the eye to see if he was serious. Hayato continued, "However, as a Father to his son, soon to be a man, I feel it would hurt more to not look you in the eyes for a long…long…time."

Ritsu looked up and his father was doing just that. Yet he still spoke, "I have only one son, and he's growing up before my eyes. I worry about him every time he's out of my sight but he keeps doing things that would make me worry more. He's becoming a man and following his own path, but I'm too selfish to let him."

Ritsu bowed his head with guilt and there was silence in the room. Hayato turned completely away from him, "I can't accept him as a man yet. I can't agree with what he's doing. But I can't stop him forever. So until I can look at him without disappointment, I won't look at him at all. Leave my presence."

"But, dad…"

"Leave…" Ritsu stood there and hesitantly walked out the shogi doors. As he finally turned around, he heard his father call out, "Send in the girl."

* * *

><p><strong>(AN)** So I got two jobs now…shoot me. I'm starting to believe that this thing called "a life" doesn't exist…like Santa…or Income Tax Refund. I felt I've done enough character development and made Yuunami interesting enough so I could focus on the story and getting to what everyone wanted to see in the first place…SOFT CORE POR- WOAH wrong mentality…*ahem* a love story. Yes, you peons can finally see Kasanoda get some Poont- *ahem* TLC. Keeping this one short, more story depth on its way, working on Chapter 2 of Serotinal Incidents. I only managed to get chapter one out because I had an idea of how to do it but I only knew I wanted to introduce another character but didn't know how so now I do and it's likely going to be as long as the first chapter because I wanted to do this complicated. The HUGE difference between chapter one and chapter two though: I FINALLY got to play FFXIV! I love it and in two days, the new instalment comes out for rouge! I'm SO on that. So expect people to start sounding like they do in Realm Reborn because I now know simple things like "Twelve" swears. Till next time.

Here's the translations:

_**Shinda Kusa**_ – Dead Grass  
><em><strong>Furisodo<strong>_ – _Kimonos with "swinging sleeves"  
><strong>Tsuchibue<strong>_ – ocarina; a wind instrument that can be ovular with 4 or 6 holes, or sweet potato shaped with 10 to 12 holes  
><em><strong>Opa<strong>_ – German for 'Grandfather'.  
><em><strong>Obaa-san<strong>_ – Grandmother. Not to be mistaken with _Oba-san_ which means aunt.  
><em><strong>Moshi moshi<strong>_ – the phrase used when answering a phone; similar to hello but specific only to the telephone.  
><em><strong>Ninensei <strong>__**「 二年生 」**_ – sophomore: ni 二 means "two", nen 年 means "year", sei 生 means "living". To change the year, you'd change the number. Ex.) If you were a freshmen, you be ichi-nensei 一年生. If you are a senior, yo-nensei 四年生.  
><em><strong>Kieo Daigaku<strong>_ – Keio is the name of the university. Daigaku 大学 means "University/college": dai 大 means "big" and gaku 学 means "school".

***Check out a picture I did of Wakamiya Yuu and Kasanoda Ritsu at Xai16 on deviantArt if you haven't already (I got lazy and used a base and substitute Photoshop tools but it came out great for someone who has NO IDEA how to use Photoshop)***

The link is below: copy and paste, delete the space, and don't forget the dot-com. And Enjoy.

xai16. deviantart

/art/Kasanoda-Ritsu-X-Wakamiya-Yuu-312704544


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